Charles Dickson

The genesis of Charles Dickson's need to create happened when he was only five years old and saw his neighbor carving toys. Immediately, he began to teach himself to carve, using his mother's kitchen knife, enjoying people's reactions to the results of his periods of "fun." Soon he began to carve birds and make clay figures, entering them in competition and earning money by selling his carvings. The self-taught artist is a patient man who believes in recycling remnants of his own work. He knows he must give each concept the necessary time to reach a place where it can be created. For instance, he has a particular interest in studying the black female body and has been researching the various female forms for over 40 years, producing more than 15 sculptures.

He reuses the sawdust from various pieces done in ebony and other hard woods to integrate that dust into his contemporary work. He creates wood, bronze and stone sculptures, in addition to mixed media assemblages that summon his many skills and knowledge of diverse materials and techniques. He also favors artworks which reflect on African American history and that comment on political or social aspects of American culture at large. Some of his work interprets the artist's natural conflict between commerciality and art for self's sake.