"The Earliest artwork generally considered by scholars is the "Venus of Tan-Tan". It is believed to have been made 300,000 to 500,000 years ago during the Acheulean Period in Morocco. It is about 6 cm long and resembles a human figure. Fast forward through the cave paintings in southern Europe in both France and Portugal onto virtually every major period and movement in fine art and some very interesting conclusions can be seen regarding the most important recurring iconic references in our collective history. Human figures and animals are seen again and again since the dawn of visual communication itself. Their significance is so broad and profound that they have great meaning and merit in virtually every aspect of human thought; sociologically, psychologically, philosophically, theologically, scientifically and certainly in terms of visual importance.

Figurative icons, human or animal, have the unique quality of being infinitely capable of manipulation without ever losing their identity. This is an arena of great inspiration and interest to artists and has been throughout history. Since the Renaissance artists, such as El Greco, Goya, Marini, Rodin, Botero and Baskin to name but a few, have all adopted this wonderful potential in visual expression.

The American sculptor Carl Dahl is an artist who has embraced this rich tradition and found a personal voice that resonates with profound vigor and visual impact in contemporary art. Carl is one of those rare individuals who continue to search for ever-greater extensions to the interpretability of implied narrative but also seriously broaden the power and merit of human and animal iconography. His choices and combinations of materials pay homage to historical precedent and at the same time sound with singular contemporary vitality and presence. Carl's design and formal power communicate to virtually anyone who seriously looks at his work and it stays with those who do.

The true significance of any artwork rests in its ability to offer the viewer something new to "see" or "feel" conceptually or formally every time they encounter the work. This is a concept that is evident only in the work of the finest artists of this or any era. Carl Dahl is a contemporary artist whose work has these qualities in abundance."

Daniel Britton

Professor of Art

Arizona State University

In sculpture, I prefer to work small.  This intimacy combined with the immediacy of clay lets me work fast and with simple tools.   My materials are clay, steel wire, time and heat - often translating into Bronze.

  Clay, bone-like & bleached and corroded staining spindles of rusted metal capture elemental parts of my desert life experience ... wood bases reflect an instance of life, grounding this entropy. My drawings on paper are gestural and simple - owing a great debt to Sumi-e. 

I've been an artist for the last 30 some years; prior to this indulgence of the soul I held positions as a Senior Financial Analyst, Corporate VP and President of a virtual reality research organization. Although I've learned, traveled and experienced great things in these prior positions - art will forever be my passion. My formal education includes a B.A. degree in Philosophy, B.S degrees in Finance and CIS, an MBA and a Masters of Fine Arts all at Arizona State University. In these pursuits I have been honored with membership in The Arizona Academy, Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi. I've also had the honor and pleasure of working on grants from the Research Institute for Studies in the Arts, artist in residence at Keeneland race track and commissions from Yamansho University in Japan and WP Carey School of Business. It has been my privilege to teach at the college level for some 20 years. My greatest achievement remains convincing my wife Deborah to marry me. Her love is my greatest honor. 

My art is a reflection of my life experiences and imagination. Growing up in the desert, discovering a broken Greek sculpture, being around horses, and working with an old German sculptor have all influenced my artistic practice. Through this work, I seek to make sense of the world and find joy in the creative process. Each piece is a unique artifact, imbued with my personal touch and vision. In horses, I find beauty, power and freedom; their legs, that seemed overly long to me as a child, rise to complete a perfect form.  In man, I find fragments of perfection ... neither Angel nor Beast.  This paradox a metaphor for the struggle to find and create meaning in the face of a world that often, like the desert, offers little succor. By studying human and animal forms, their movement, their parallels and contrasts I strive to create objects that reflect a distillation of the gestures, woes and joys that are our narrative  

My goals have been and remain to achieve excellence in my art and kindness in my dealings with others.