Roger J. Carter - The Creative Genius Making Art Out of Toy Soldiers - CODAworx

Roger J. Carter – The Creative Genius Making Art Out of Toy Soldiers

Submitted by Karell Blancaflor

Client

Location: Chicago, IL, United States

Completion date: 2023

Project Team

Artist Gallery/Representation

Artist Replete

Matthew Moore

Artist Replete

Overview

When we think of artwork, we often think of paintings, sculptures and a set of unwritten rules that are frequently followed by artists. If we're lucky enough, we get graced by the presence of someone who steps outside of the rule book and ventures into a rarely charted territory. This creative voyager, hailing from South Side, Chicago goes by the name of Roger J. Carter.

Goals

After spending countless hours testing out different ideas, Roger gradually discovered a style that spoke to his personal taste and inspired everyone around him. The first prototypes featured vintage records cut into angles to create a face. Later he glued chess pieces together on wood to form an image. Then a handful of plastic soldiers, painted black, outlining a portrait of a woman. As the Chicago native dove deeper into different ideas, the toy soldier imagery evolved into vivid portraits of musicians, activists and writers. The soldiers, previously looked at as nothing more than a toy, took on a new meaning, as part of a greater expression.

"For me I've always been political in my art. I've always done revolutionary characters and rebels. So in that regard, I consider my art as a form of protest. My Art Is My Protest."

Throughout the summer of 2020, between a pandemic and racial injustice, Roger found himself motivated to continue making art within his new found style. It became his own way of addressing everything that was going on in the world. He funneled the tension in the air and put all of his emotions into his art.

Process

While this particular style of work is new to the artist, his life as a creative spans far beyond a decade. Roger literally grew up alongside artists like Hebru Brantley and Max Sansing. His exploration as a creative has been relentless and while his friends have gone on to become successful, he never once questioned himself or wondered when his time would come. It's evident at this point that his time is now. During the course of our interview we witnessed him working on multiple commissions that were going to different locations throughout the U.S, Europe and Canada. The word has gradually gotten out of an artist who's evolving his craft and finding unique ways to create an image.

As a society we often get excited over the release of a new idea. This can be in the form of a new phone, a new item in the fashion industry or in this case a medium rarely witnessed in the art world. We see nothing but a bright future and a rising market ahead of this individual, who can be defined as nothing less than a creative genius.

Additional Information

Artist Replete is proud to announce a new partnership with Roger J. Carter as one of the chosen few to represent him on his journey. The artist is currently available for commission work with a wait time between 4-8 weeks. For more info on his work, feel free to contact us via email at Info@artistreplete.com