Beth Minotaur

Beth Carter is a Contemporary artist whose work — which includes sculpture and charcoal drawings — draws from the deep well of mythology. Her winged harpies and minotaurs are updated for the purposes of creating modern allegories so that her efforts to explore the human condition often yield thoughtful marriages of past and present worlds. Carter tells stories primarily through two mediums — her figurative sculptures are typically cast in bronze and she also creates painstakingly detailed works on paper, too. 

Carter began pursuing art relatively early in life. She studied at Bath College and earned her BA in Fine Art from the University of Sunderland in 1995. Carter additionally studied at the Cyprus College of Art and the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her first exhibition was the 1995 Northern Graduate Show 95' at the Royal College of Art, London, where she won the top prize. Her continuing artistic studies have taken her to India, Gambia, Mexico, Kenya, New Zealand, Tanzania and Sri Lanka.

Today, Carter is based in Bristol and exhibits throughout the United Kingdom. She is represented by galleries in the UK, America and Belgium, and her drawings and sculptures are held in private collections worldwide and in the permanent collections of the Muskegon Museum of Art and the Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins.

Carter regularly collaborates with other female artists as well. In 2020, six of her sculptures were showcased alongside works by painter Helen Flockhart at Flockhart's "Beasts" exhibition at the Arusha Gallery in Edinburgh. In 2022, Carter and artist Olivia Kemp, known for her large-scale ink drawings, exhibited together at James Freeman Gallery in London.

On 1stDibs, find original Beth Carter sculptures, drawings and more.

The history of sculpture as we know it is believed to have origins in Ancient Greece, while small sculptural carvings are among the most common examples of prehistoric art. In short, sculpture as a fine art has been with us forever. A powerful three-dimensional means of creative expression, sculpture has long been most frequently associated with religion — consider the limestone Great Sphinx in Giza, Egypt — while the tradition of collecting sculpture, which has also been traced back to Greece as well as to China, far precedes the emergence of museums.

Technique and materials in sculpture have changed over time. Stone sculpture, which essentially began as images carved into cave walls, is as old as human civilization itself. The majority of surviving sculpted works from ancient cultures are stone. Traditionally, this material and pottery as well as metal — bronze in particular — were among the most common materials associated with this field of visual art. Artists have long sought new ways and materials in order to make sculptures and express their ideas. Material, after all, is the vehicle through which artists express themselves, or at least work out the problems knocking around in their heads. It also allows them to push the boundaries of form, subverting our expectations and upending convention. As an influential sculptor as much as he was a revolutionary painter and printmaker, Pablo Picasso worked with everything from wire to wood to bicycle seats.

If you are a lover of art and antiques or are thinking of bringing a work of sculpture into your home for the first time, there are several details to keep in mind. As with all other works of art, think about what you like. What speaks to you? Visit local galleries and museums. Take in works of public art and art fairs when you can and find out what kind of sculpture you like. When you’ve come to a decision about a specific work, try to find out all you can about the piece, and if you’re not buying from a sculptor directly, work with an art expert to confirm the work’s authenticity.

And when you bring your sculpture home, remember: No matter how big or small your new addition is, it will make a statement in your space. Large- and even medium-sized sculptures can be heavy, so hire some professional art handlers as necessary and find a good place in your home for your piece. Whether you’re installing a towering new figurative sculpture — a colorful character by KAWS or hyperreal work by Carole A. Feuerman, perhaps — or an abstract work by Won Lee, you’ll want the sculpture to be safe from being knocked over. (You’ll find that most sculptures should be displayed at eye level, while some large busts look best from below.)

On 1stDibs, find a broad range of exceptional sculptures for sale. Browse works by your favorite creator, style, period or other attribute.