Pastoral Dreamer
David Phelps is an internationally collected sculptor exploring the deep connections between humanity and the notion of place and landscape.
Phelps' strikingly alive images reflect the vibrancy of expansive spaces, and graciously challenge viewers on a multitude of levels, evoking introspection, contemplation and meaningful meditation.
Phelps is known for monumental contemporary figurative artwork in bronze, cast concrete and fabricated steel. He also creates small and medium sized sculptures as unique pieces and in limited bronze editions.
One highly visible public art commission is the Desert Wildlife series installed in the terminals of the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The large scale installation depicts five giant desert animals native to the surrounding desert. The surface of each sculpture looks like dry cracked mud, evocative of the desert environment.
Many of the sculptures created by Phelps appear to be partly submerged or emerging from the ground. This somewhat surreal aspect of the image invokes Phelps' early years on the Roberts Island farm in the California delta.
Phelps' art is represented in private and public collections around the world.
Use the contact page for information about purchasing, commissions or scheduling a studio visit.
““I grew up on a farm in the central valley of California where the fields became an extension of oneself.
I continue to live in the wide open spaces of Oklahoma where my sculptural images expand to include their environments as part of the aesthetic experience”.
— David L Phelps”