Growing
up in California during the 1960s J. Chester Armstrong graduated from
the University of California-Berkeley with a degree in philosophy. He
then traveled to Central America and was inspired by the Mayan Indian
temple carvings. This originated his love for working with wood and he
began to carve totems and wild animals. He has been sculpting
professionally since 1972 and currently resides in the mountain
wilderness of Oregon.Because Chester
loves to produce large images he often begins his sculptures with a
16" chainsaw. Chester describes this process saying "There is a
certain element of excitement and danger in using the large saw which
revs up my creative juices". "It is a challenge to me to use such a
rough tool to refine the wood into intricate and detailed images.
Because I am absolutely in love with line the chainsaw is the perfect
tool for me. The constant steady movement as it cuts automatically
creates flowing lines as opposed to chisels which make chips and
chunks."
Mass is also an important feature of his work so
he frequently sculpts multiple images. Explaining how these come about
Armstrong notes "Since wood is organic and natural things change as I
go; nothing is locked in. I adlib as I cut making a myriad of
spontaneous decisions. If I come to a branch then it becomes a rearing
horse as opposed to one running with the herd. There is a spirit
within the wood and as I work that creative life force is flowing into
me and in turn I put that energy back into my sculpture."
Chester has achieved a national and
international reputation with many private and corporate collectors
worldwide. He has also been featured in magazines such as Southwest
Art, Art of the West, and Wildlife Art and is in the
permanent collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas
City, MO.
Sources:
www.askart.com
Masters of Wood Southwest Art July 1998 by Myrna Zanetell
Growing
up in California during the 1960s J. Chester Armstrong graduated from
the University of California-Berkeley with a degree in philosophy. He
then traveled to Central America and was inspired by the Mayan Indian
temple carvings. This originated his love for working with wood and he
began to carve totems and wild animals. He has been sculpting
professionally since 1972 and currently resides in the mountain
wilderness of Oregon.
