What do you find as you open a Ted Gall sculpture? Masks behind masks? Realities behind appearances? Inner workings? Inner Play? Always something more.

Theodore Gall studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art. He has served as a consultant to the Art Institute and to the Illinois Arts Council, and has shared his knowledge with students in Illinois as well as at the Ojai Art Center. The human form has always been his primary focus. He enjoys placing his compelling figures in thought provoking situations.

"My concepts come to me visually; it is only during the course of creating a sculpture that its meaning becomes clear. While I am always happy to share what a piece means to me, it is important that interpretation of my work not be limited to my own view. What I have to offer the viewer of my work is not only visual and tactile; equally important are the feelings and emotions that my sculpture can evoke.

My sculpture is my depth. While the act of sculpting helps me work through difficulties and solve problems in my personal life, it is often the finished piece that goes a step further in helping me identify obstacles with which I was not in touch. My career as a sculptor is very satisfying to me - and it is most gratifying when I know that my work has touched someone in a very deep place."

What began for sculptor Ted Gall in the early nineties as a series of fantasy hats has evolved into an extensive selection of heads with a variety of human and animal masks. Inside each head an elaborate and unique scene is depicted. All heads are articulated, some opening once - most opening twice. Each has a theme. The idea is to open the hinged sections to get inside the head. Once inside, the viewer will discover that the theme is a continuation of all the detail on the outside—truly a thinking person's sculpture. Although some components such as the head itself or the animal masks are used repeatedly, each sculpture is individually fabricated and the internal works are unique. Ted's sculptures are signed originals—not editions.