by Charles Bechtel
Charles Bechtel creates textual compositions made of materials he stumbles across, collects, and finds discarded, such as glass, copper wire, bamboo skewers, grapefruit tree twigs, eggshells, and cuttlefish bone. He transforms these individual elements into unique sculptures that engage the imagination. Bechtel says, “As a visual artist, I seek harmonious balance among colors, lines, weights, and textures.” With this series of textual compositions, Bechtel invites the mind to synergize the individual materials and create a unique story for each piece. Click on any image to view the full slideshow.
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About the Artist
Charles W. Bechtel has always felt a compulsion to create, whether novels, artwork, or gardens. He discovered his own queer perspective in the second grade. Handed a lump of clay and told to make something, most classmates made ashtrays. Seven-year-old Charles sculpted a standing pink pig eating an ear of yellow corn. Upon seeing his handiwork among the others, he muttered, quietly, “Uh oh.” Fifty-five years later, he’s still saying, “Uh oh.” Formerly of South Jersey, Charles creates his small-box, reclaimed-material assemblages in a shed in Mesa, Arizona, all of which may be seen at www.charlesbechtel.com/artworks.