Donald Baechler Walking Figure

Walking Figure" is a 10-foot-tall, richly textured bronze sculpture by contemporary American artist Donald Baechler. Emerging from the neo-expressionism of the 1980s, Baechler’s work is featured in permanent exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as New York’s Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Centre George Pompidou in Paris.

Depicting a gangly young woman in dynamic mid-stride, the sculpture juxtaposes whimsy and humor with purpose and determination. Projecting from a diamond-shaped torso at near right angles, her extended arms and legs suggest forward momentum. Her pursed lower lip and tightly balled hands attest to her resolve.

Where is she going? we can’t help but wonder. What mission is driving her on? Perhaps she is on her way to right a wrong, the unlikely, larger-than-life champion of the underrepresented or the downtrodden. Or perhaps she is simply running late for class or rushing to an appointment. No matter. Regardless of her purpose and destination, Baechler’s work is a playful reminder that destiny reveals itself in all shapes and sizes.