Artist of Note | William Carrington - Southwest Art Magazine

Humorous wildlife

William Carrington, ¡No Mire Atras! III, bronze, 10 x 18.

This story was featured in the August 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

Sculptor William Carrington has a special bond with the animals around his home in Texas—particularly the jackrabbits. “They’re always running away from something and just figuring out how to stay alive,” he says. This fascination led to a series of pieces titled ¡NO MIRE ATRAS! (which translates to DON’T LOOK BACK!), in which Carrington depicts the jackrabbits galloping along on skinny legs with their long ears trailing behind them.

: William Carrington, ¡Espereme!, bronze, 30 x 10.

: William Carrington, In the Sights, bronze, 12 x 22.

: William Carrington, ¡Ni Siquiera!, bronze, 12 x 9.

Carrington has always been an avid outdoorsman. He grew up in a ranching family and enjoyed hunting for many years. After a career in graphic design and elementary education, the artist called a local foundry and began learning about the sculpting and casting process. During his time as a teacher, he had always devoted the last five minutes of every class to teaching students about local wildlife. So the subject matter was a natural choice for his sculptures. “I was able to find some humor in the animals beneath their desire to stay alive,” he says

: William Carrington, Chasing Bait, bronze, 24 x 13.

: William Carrington, ¡Corre!, bronze, 12 x 10.

: William Carrington, Fish II, bronze, 32 x 16.

That humor shows through in the exaggerated features he bestows upon each of his animals. “I always end up depicting the way they move or something quirky about them when they’re sitting still,” he says. “I want them to feel like they could take off at any moment and leave a cartoonlike blur behind them.” Carrington hopes his work helps people remember the needs of animals as the world continues to become more developed. —Mackenzie McCreary

Carrington is represented by Parchman Stremmel Gallery, San Antonio, TX; Capital Fine Art, Austin, TX; Kiowa Gallery, Alpine, TX; Worrell Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Hunt Gallery, San Antonio, TX; and www.carringtonsculpture.com.