Bozo

Bozo is an unexpected title for a sculpture composed of elegant geometric forms and gleaming metallic surfaces.  Reflecting Fahlen's playful sense of humor, the life-size sculpture takes the name of a vintage punching-bag toy that bounces back up when hit.  The name also suggest a clown, or a fellow with more strength and brains. 

When sizing up the sculpture, some viewers see a pom-pomed party hat.  Others see a figure with a globular head, a conical, broad-beamed torso, and a four-tiered crenelated underskirt.  Still others see references to quirky rock formations found in the American West, where shapes are oddly balanced on one another.  A sculptor who enjoyed fashioning open-ended works, Charles Fahlen has created a tongue-in-cheek monument both to nature and to popular culture.