Charles Nagel Artist Statement
My current works are part of an ongoing exploration of the expressive possibilities of small-scale art objects. I have become interested in the notion of sculpture as an object which must be encountered closely. It is my intention that these bas reliefs, because of their size, will invite the viewer to move toward them rather than to step back, and the act of closing the distance will create a more contemplative, personal sense of the self not as a detached observer but as an intimate participant in the art experience.
The medium in which I’m currently working is thermally activated resin. Each original piece of hand-cast bas relief sculpture is one of an open-ended series of castings. The nature of the process creates individual variations, sometimes major or at other times subtle. In addition, varying the formulation of the casting medium and patinas further ensures that each piece is unique. Most are mounted on a cradled hardboard panel which serves as a a kind of “vertical pedestal.”