Derek Charleton

Derek Charleton

Walking Figure

2022

17”x39”x27”

The walking figure was an attempt and somewhat experiment to break out of the typical figure poses that I make with my sculptures. The goal was to make the sculpture appear as if it was walking in a fluid and organic way, while also trying to further push my processes further and expand the figures I make. I ended up taking items from a previous sculpture I had made and utilized those pieces to create a different but also interesting head to the figure. Plus I thought it would be a good way to play onto the meaning and a little bit of context to the sculptural figure. Since the pieces used to create the head were more geometric as well, making it seem placed randomly didn't end up so awfully.

Some context to the figure; as mentioned parts and pieces from a previous sculpture that I had made a semester prior to this piece were used to create this new piece. Specifically the steel caltrops, the four-point triangular spikes that are used for puncturing tires or to be stepped on. I thought I could use the spare caltrops from the previous piece to extend the subject of war, and the decay and grossness of war. To go along with that, I tried making the arms and legs seem to be created from barbed wire and letting rust build and scatter throughout the piece. However, these are just small details I wanted to include in the piece as a little nod to a previous piece that I had made.