William “Ned” Cartledge

1916-2001

Born in 1916, William “Ned” Cartledge grew up in Georgia.  He was a wood carver who found inspiration for his satirical painted bas reliefs in contemporary politics.  From 1936 to 1960, Cartledge worked as a “cotton closer” taking a leave of absence during World War II to serve as an enlisted man and later as a first lieutenant in a mortar battalion that saw action in Europe.  When he returned from the service, he worked several jobs until his retirement in 1982. Later in life, he purchased a set of X-Acto knives which rekindled his love for wood carving.  “I whittled as a child using my mother’s paring knife.  I didn’t own a pocket knife until I was 12 years old.  When we moved to Atlanta, my carving practically stopped due to lack of motivation.  But when I married, my chain was pretty tight,” he jokingly admits, “so I stayed home and took it up again.”  He used western pine, poplar, and bass wood but the type of wood he used depended upon availability and he painted in acrylics though a few early works were done in oils.  The sharp social commentary in his works reflected his convictions, giving his carvings both intellectual and aesthetic importance in his satirical bas reliefs. ⁽²⁾ ⁽⁶⁾