Joshua Tobey Studios

Joshua Tobey 

Joshua Tobey’s sculptures reveal as much about his wild subjects as they do about the human spirit.

Joshua’s late father, the acclaimed sculpture Gene Tobey, once said a bear is just a man wearing a bear costume. Nowhere is that adage truer than in the whimsical bears of Joshua Tobey who recline lazily, amuse themselves and show affection toward one other, revealing a glimpse into a secret world that is not unlike our own.

His current body of work celebrates birds in flight --- most notably the six-foot-long, powerful wall sculpture named “Dreamcatcher” that captures the majesty of the eagle bursting forward with massive outstretched wings. Another new project, “The Breakfast Club” series, focuses on different animals --- from bears to wolves to bobcats --- that are adversaries as much as friends who get together to socialize, tell stories and tease each other.

“My goal is to tell the human story using wildlife,” Tobey said. “Whether the sculpture is large or small, I want the animal to make eye contact with the viewer. I want them to be invited into the story. It’s no accident that the animals often tell us something about ourselves.”

Whether Tobey’s subjects are soaring skyward, stalking their prey, playfully wrestling with each other, or curled peacefully in sleep, they are undeniably the product of an artist for whom the outdoors is a second home.

Formally trained in sculpture at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado, his formative years were influenced by the Southwest art movement and its focus on culture, wildlife, landscape and history. Like his late father, Tobey’s passion for three-dimensional art combines his unbridled creativity with a love for the great outdoors.

Tobey’s body of work is characterized by the continual interaction of angles, lines and textures that emphasize the soft, silent language of sculpture. The suggestion of movement --- or the intent to move --- is a common thread in his work, which possesses a strong narrative sense, a clear articulation of mood and spirit, and an intricate knowledge of animal anatomy.

“Within the great tradition of sculpture, Joshua Tobey has set himself apart as an innovator who employs only the purest means of artistic expression,” said Los Angeles Times art critic Holly Myers.

Inspired by wildlife’s vital energy and broad emotional range, Tobey’s sculptures are infused with a quality that endures the passage of time, taste and trend.

The fusion between animal and man reveals the artist’s wish to express his own personal relationship to the natural world. After all, it’s only through nature that the artist feels that he is part of something bigger than himself.

Tobey currently shows in Sedona, Arizona; Palm Desert, California; Cannon Beach, Oregon; Park City, Utah; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and his home city of Santa Fe. His work has also been featured at Georgia’s Booth Western Art Museum and Texas’ Deep in the Heart Art Foundry. He works out of his home studio in Port Aransas, Texas where he lives with his wife, Josephine.