Artwork > All Sculptures, Americana, Mountain Men, Townfolk > The End of My Trail? Who Knows, Who Knows!
The End of My Trail? Who Knows, Who Knows!
Specifications:
11.5″H x 8.5″W x 9.5″D
Edition of 30
Price:
$3,200
Scott’s Piece Description
Have you ever read a book, poem or scripture….and been stopped dead in your tracks, as the words coming off the page pierce your soul? Perhaps they’re words you’ve read a hundred times…..but now, ‘with life having peeled back layers’, a new truth is revealed. Such was the case when I came across, “The end of my trail, who knows, who knows” (The Nostomaniac by Robert Service).
Other examples of words that altered my life: “Beauty is a pathway to God”, “Listening is Loving”, “Honest labor = Nobility”, “Sculpture is silhouette”, “On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of those who, when within the grasp of victory, sat and waited and waiting died." “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been’.” “God speaks in silence, all else is a poor translation.
Just as poets write about that which cannot be written (the fragility of life, breaking points, self-serving natures, un-tempered humanity, forgiveness, endurance and how compassion is one the soul’s deepest traits), so to, a great sculpture can take a viewer beyond form and into an unseen world of feeling…so much so that the work of art disappears…..its purpose being complete.
As an aside: Lately, I find myself reading historical narratives and biographies (i.e. Twelve Mighty Orphans, Unbroken, With the Old Breed, Tough Trip Through Paradise, Steve Jobs, Shakleton and Abraham Lincoln). As I read, I find myself questioning my own life’s purpose and mortality. I always marvel at the moment one finds a new found internal resolve, a decision made in the face of uncertainty. Oft’ times, there seems to be an unseen hand guiding an outcome.
Image Gallery
Curator Review
In The End of My Trail? Who Knows, Who Knows!, Scott Rogers turns quiet introspection into bronze. This solitary figure—slouched in a chair shaped by horns, boots kicked off, and a book open in hand—embodies the intersection of a life lived hard and a mind turned inward. It’s a sculpture that draws from both the American West and the philosophical terrain of mortality and meaning.
The composition is dense, layered with symbolism: stacks of books encircle the man, suggesting a lifetime of study and stories that both anchor and provoke. Behind him, the curved horns of a longhorn steer arc like guardians over his shoulder, evoking past labors, perhaps even conquests. And yet, his posture is still, even vulnerable. One senses that the physical strength which once drove cattle or carved trails has now yielded to reflection.
What makes this piece remarkable is not only the masterful texture and attention to detail—though those are hallmarks of Rogers’ work—but the emotion imbued in the silhouette itself. The downward gaze, the spread fingers holding a well-worn book, the loose drape of his clothing: all speak of a man who has traded action for contemplation. The viewer is invited not just to observe, but to enter that stillness and ask: What will I leave behind? Whose stories am I carrying?
Rogers doesn’t offer answers. Instead, like the quote from Robert Service that inspired the title, the piece ends in a question. And perhaps that’s the point. At the end of one’s trail, clarity may not come from certainty—but from sitting long enough with the questions.
Get In Touch
We’ll confirm if this sculpture is available now or reserve your place in the next casting (4–5 months).
Phone: 1.435.469.1646
Email: hello@scottrogerssculpture.com
After you reach out, your inquiry is reviewed personally and responded to with care. We’re happy to provide information on available works, commissions, provenance, or questions related to existing pieces. You may also choose to receive occasional updates about new sculptures, exhibitions, and projects, shared thoughtfully and infrequently by subscribing here.