Deja Vu - We have all been here before - Unique abstract sculpture
Sculpture: Archetypal Characters and Situations
View a collection of sculptures by Portland-based sculptor Chas Martin, featuring mixed media figures that symbolize archetypal characters and universal situations through form, gesture, and painted surface.
Why limit painting to flat surfaces, or sculpture to flat color? I paint sculptures. This practice is not new—the Greeks did it centuries ago. My work combines painting, storytelling, and dimensional figures, transforming petroglyph-inspired characters into contemporary archetypes.
Each sculpture begins with pencil or watercolor sketches. Those sketches evolve into wire armatures, like line drawings in space. Arms, legs, hips, and heads are re-positioned repeatedly until the character’s gesture feels right. The process resembles a dialogue between director and actor, where subtle changes in posture amplify the narrative.
Once the form is resolved, I apply paint as a costume designer dresses an actor—using color, surface, and texture to project personality and meaning. The result is a unique sculptural figure reflecting experiences of universal situations.