Starting with model airplanes, furniture, and boats, William King was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursued an engineering degree at the University of Florida. It was his mother that saw his artistic talent and told him to leave Florida and not return till he was old and grey. King traveled to New York and finished school at Cooper Union University. Before graduating he had already sold a number of sculptures to friends and family. His work draws on inspiration from daily life and often depicts different social attitudes in his figures. With elongated figures imitating human gestures King pokes fun at human behavior and human follies. The witty humor displayed in his work gives his pieces unique subjects but might have hindered his artistic career, as many galleries and critics did not take him seriously. Later reviews of his works told how his work was funny but serious. King displayed superior technical skills and imagination. A range of influences from ancient Etruscans to American folk art to 20th century artists can be seen in all his sculptures. King’s work is now collected at many prestigious galleries and museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. His works poked fun at human’s social constructs but also blatantly stated the flaws society has yet to overcome.