INTO THE WILD (Masterwork & Maquette)

Masterwork: Bronze, 23″H x 48″L x 20″D, Limited Ed. of 30 – 2014
Maquette: Bronze, 16″H x 33″L x 13″D, Limited Ed. of 35 – 2013

As Vic continues his historical research of the Explorers of the West series, he was inspired to create ‘Into the Wild.’  This dynamic sculpture depicts the 1843/1844 journey of two of the most notable explorers of the 19th century, John C. Fremont and legendary scout Kit Carson.

John C. Fremont’s, ‘the Pathfinder’, grandest achievement was exploring the West and making it known through his lively reports and maps. Fremont’s reports became a guidebook and inspiration for the emigration and settlement of the American West. His reports included the first maps published of the overland route to the Pacific Ocean known as the Oregon Trail.

Kit Carson was noted in history as one of the most remarkable American frontiersmen known throughout this country and Europe. He was a skillful hunter, tracker, and guide achieving national fame through Fremont’s accounts of his expeditions. His name is also inextricably linked to one of the most tragic episodes in American history, the Indian Wars of 1862. The embodiment of contradictions, both of heroism and heartbreak, define Carson’s legacy and elicit both pride and shame of a little-understood era in our country’s history. It is also a poignant reminder of the cultural tragedy the westward expansion inflicted upon the Native Americans, telling the true story of how the West was won.

Vic takes us on a journey back to 1843/1844 when John C. Fremont was preparing for his second expedition of the West. He hired Kit Carson as a guide to map the trails from the Columbia River region to the Pacific Ocean. Together, Fremont and Carson ventured into untamed territory traveling through the Great Salt Lake region into Oregon, crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains into California, and going on through much of the central Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin.

Vic captures the remarkable spirit and essence of these two explorers in “Into the Wild” as Fremont and Carson navigate the waters of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. Their explorations of the American West, hardships, and adventures are second in significance only to those of Lewis and Clark.