Battenberg’s training and education was all painting, printmaking, and drawing. His early years in England and Europe were involved in these pursuits. When he returned the last time from living abroad, his first job in art was as an artist in residence at a small university in southern New Mexico, New Mexico Western University, with a population of about 2000.

There was little to do in New Mexico but to sneak off to old Mexico, start an art film society, or an art quarterly called Cibola after the lost cities of gold. It was a time to take stock, expand, research, and find out what the hell to do. This was also a time to move on or become the most promising artist in the south western corner of New Mexico, population of about 10000.

The process of sculpture had always been on Battenberg’s mind. He came from a family, both father and grandfather, who were foundry folks. He had put together welding tools and was didling with steel forms. Battenberg built these forms into the local wild and tame life. It was time to move on. The West Coast was around the corner.

There was a large movement on the West Coast. There was a guy named Voulcus, large warehouses, home foundries, lots of artists, and galleries. The bay beckoned.

The seeds were sewn, the foundry was built, sculpture was made, shows were had, and they were rolling. There were all manner of sculptors at that time in many mediums and approaches. It was certainly sculpture heaven.

There was even a war for Battenberg to rile against. Hence you will find WWI pilots representing the futility and waste of war, the ghost of universal bodies, all life size, stranding next to you in the galleries. This came from an ex-marine.

Sculpture went on from there. You will find it all on this web site. We hope you will see a thread which Battenberg likes to think is humanity.

The most interesting thing to the artist, now at the end, is it has come back to those two dimensional drawings on steel of animals.