James N. Muir

Allegorical Art is a term Muir created to describe his art as being filled with symbolic meaning. Bridging the centuries from his historical military subjects to today's social, political, and spiritual commentary, his sculptures speak eloquently of Duty, Honor, Courage, and Justice, but above all, of Truth and the ultimate triumph of the Human Spirit. Unlike many artists, James Nathan Muir, came to his vocation relatively late in life, in a manner which seems to have been a series of fated coincidences. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Muir's early interest in history and the military was reinforced by his experience as a West Point cadet and to which he also attributes the cementing of his personal "Code of Honor". Having received a business degree from Indiana University, Muir's ever-deepening involvement with horses, and his continuing quest for spiritual truth, finally led him to leave Indiana in 1979 for the freedom and inspiration of the great American West. After working at ranches in Texas and Arizona, he settled in Sedona, Arizona, and there embarked on a meteoric career in sculpting, specializing in Cavalry subjects of the American Frontier and Civil War. His meticulous attention to detail, coupled with an insightful grasp of the human experience resulted in exquisitely crafted and poignant bronzes. He quickly gained the acclaim of collectors around the country, as well as induction into the prestigious Society of American Historical Artists (SAHA), serving the second year as Vice-president. A life member of the U. S. Horse Cavalry Association, Muir's work resides in the U. S. Cavalry Museum at Ft. Riley, the Gettysburg Battlefield Museum, the Atlanta Historical Society and some of the most prominent private collections in America. In keeping with his deep spiritual convictions and social consciousness, Muir's sculptural subjects have expanded to reflect the critical nature of the times in which we live. Yet, whether historical or contemporary, "the golden thread that ties it all together is still my never-ending quest for the essence of life - for Truth in it's the purest form."