Duane Hanson monograph 1976 bound printed paper 10.5 h x 7.25 w in (27 x 18 cm) Signed and inscribed to front endpaper 'To Anne Blair very best wishes Duane Hanson'. This work is from the edition published by Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS. This work will ship from Chicago, Illinois.
Signed Duane Hanson Bus Stop Lady Exhibition Poster. Duane Hanson (American, 1925-1996) was known for his life-sized, realistic sculptures of people. This signed photo print is from Duane Hanson's 1984 exhibition at O.K. Harris in SoHo, and depicts his sculpture Bus Stop Lady, which was made of polyvinyl polychromed in oil, with mixed media accessories. The poster is signed at the bottom right of the photograph by Duane Hanson himself. In a white and gold frame. Dimensions are 39.5 in h x 31.5 in w x 2 in d. Condition is good with minor wear to the frame. Please call or email for a detailed condition report.
Artist: Duane Hanson, American (1925 - 1996) Title: Football Player Year: 1985 Medium: Poster on board Image Size: Size: 28 x 22 in. (71.12 x 55.88 cm)
Artist: Duane Hanson, American (1925 - 1996) Title: Football Player Year: 1985 Medium: Poster on board Image Size: Size: 28 x 22 in. (71.12 x 55.88 cm)
Signed Duane Hanson Bus Stop Lady Exhibition Poster. Duane Hanson (American, 1925-1996) was known for his life-sized, realistic sculptures of people. This signed photo print is from Duane Hanson's 1984 exhibition at O.K. Harris in SoHo, and depicts his sculpture Bus Stop Lady,  which was made of polyvinyl polychromed in oil, with mixed media accessories. The poster is signed at the bottom right of the photograph by Duane Hanson himself. It has a simple yet beautiful white and gold frame. From the collection of contemporary artist Cary Leibowitz. A great item for any fan of Hanson's work. Dimensions are 40 in h x 31.5 in w x 2 in d. Condition is good. There is surface wear to the frame, such as paint loss and worn edges. The paper backing has been removed. Please call or email for a detailed condition report.
Artist: Duane Hanson, American (1925 - 1996) Title: Football Player Year: 1985 Medium: Poster on board Image Size: Size: 28 x 22 in. (71.12 x 55.88 cm)
Duane HANSON (1925-1993) USA, 1990-1992 Ensemble de deux cartes postales L'une est signée et contresignée au dos, datée "19.08.1990" avec une dédicace La seconde est signée, datée "16.11.1992" et dédicacée au recto 15 x 12 cm (chaque) - encadrées A vendre sans prix de réserve
Artist: Duane Hanson, American (1925 - 1996) Title: Football Player Year: 1985 Medium: Poster on board Image Size: Size: 28 x 22 in. (71.12 x 55.88 cm)
Filzstift und Collage auf festem Velin. Ca. 30 x 21 cm. Signiert mittig. Stellenweise leicht angeschmutzt, im collagierten Bereich mit Papierabrieb sowie Rückstände von wohl verfärbtem Kleber. Oben mittig mit wegradierter kaum lesbarer Schrift, sonst gut erhalten.
Artist: Duane Hanson, American (1925 - 1996) Title: Football Player Portfolio: Year: 1985 Medium: Poster on board Edition: Image Size: Size: 28 x 22 in. (71.12 x 55.88 cm) Frame Size: Printer: Publisher: Reference:
HANSON, DUANE (1925-1996) [Study for Businessman Reading], 1983. Unique Kodak Instant print, 3 1/8 X 2 3/4 inches (92 x 68 mm), artist's estate sticker on verso. Unframed. An image by Hanson of his sculpture "Businessman reading." C The Patricia and Donald Oresman Collection
Duane Hanson (1925-1996) Baby in Carriage, 1983 Polyvinyl, polychromed in oil, mixed media and accessories 34-1/2 x 22 x 36 inches (87.6 x 55.9 x 91.4 cm) PROVENANCE: Helander Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida; Private collection, Los Angeles, acquired from the above in 1988. EXHIBITED: Hokin Gallery, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, 1983. "My images don't get near what you see in real life. The world is so remarkable and astonishing and surprising that you don't need to exaggerate. What exists out-there is just mind-boggling." Shocking yet sincere, the Baby in Carriage lays asleep in an umbrella stroller. He wears a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants in the same light blue hue, the sweatshirt inscribed with John 8:7: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast the first stone." A large blue bag dangles from the handles, decorated with yellow flowers in a gingham print and "My Baby's Things" written in a chunky, white outlined font. Unlike Women with Child in Stroller, a work from 1985 that depicts a mother and her child, Baby in Carriage stands alone. Yet, it is one of Hanson's most intimate works as it was made after his son, Duane Hanson Jr. Duane Hanson began creating life-size, hyperrealistic sculptures in the 1960s, beginning with graphic scenes of police brutality. He eventually turned his attention to the middle class, capturing the averageness of American culture in the spirit of Norman Rockwell. "The subject matter that I like best deals with the familiar lower and middle class American types of today," Hanson explained. While he perfected the human skin by casting live models and then recreating them in synthetic resin, he went farther than skin-deep to expose the suffering and exhaustion of the working class. From tourists to blue-collar workers and housewives, Hanson shed an honest light on economic classes and confronted gallery and museum goers with reality. "My art is not about fooling people. It's the human attitudes I'm after-fatigue, a bit of frustration, rejection. To me, there is a kind of beauty in all this." Hanson was born in Alexandria, Minnesota in 1925 and died in Boca Raton, Florida in 1996. His work has been exhibited internationally at institutions and galleries such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; Serpentine Gallery, London; Aperture Foundation, New York; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Daimaru Museum of Art, Tokyo; Gagosian Gallery, New York and Paris. HID04901242017
An exhibtion poster from Duane Hanson. Signed by the artist in marker,. Circa 1983. Measuring 17" by 11", matted, unframed. Together with a soft cover book, "Duane Hanson" by Kirk Varnedoe, published 1985, isbn:0-8109-2293-2. Signed and inscribed on the front fly leaf in pen. (2 pcs) (Cond: good)
Two early sculptures by Duane Hanson (American, 1925-1996), together with an archive of related letters and photographs. All were given by Hanson to a former student who remained a lifelong friend. 1st item: "Man on a Flagpole," depicting a man, crosslegged male figure seated atop the finial of a blue flag pole. Figure - 16 1/2" H. Overall - 111 3/8" H. 2nd item: Porous terra-cotta colored ceramic sculpture of a female, seated with elbow on one knee and hand just below the other. 7" H. Archive contains nine photographs, including two of "Flagpole" with Hanson's handwriting, both verifying "I did this work around 1962 or before. -Duane Hanson March 1985 Davie FL" and one of the small figure, stating "I did this lousy work in the 1950s in Germany (I believe) - Duane Hanson Davie FL March 29, 1985." The other photos include four from an exhibit in Feb. 1978 in which the sculptor is seen posing with his work, and two dated April 1964 showing the artist in a doorway and one also picturing one of his more abstract sculptures (likely taken at Oglethorpe University, Atlanta). The archive also includes three postcards and four personal letters, 1969-1979, with mentions of growing success and Hanson's thoughts on art. Letter dated Feb. 24, 1969 mentions "Castell Gallery - New York's leading avant garde gallery wants to show my work next fall. Also will be in the big Whitney show next Nov. Ivan Karp at Castell Gallery will find me a studio so we will move to New York in August after a trip to Europe.." One letter dated March 29, 1985, (which enclosed the sculptures of these 2 pieces) notes that "we will not talk about these old sculptures but I am returning the photos... I'm doing a lot of bronzes now so I'm still branches (sic) out. There is so much I want to do so hope I will live long enough to get them completed... I showed in Japan - 250,000 visited the exhibit." Another, dated January 9, 1979, reads "...there's nothing much to be gained from the Europeans anymore. London has a dull art scene and the rest of Europe isn't much better. There is nothing like the home-land for inspiration, inventiveness, and exciting new works, especially New York." Duane Hanson is best known for his ultra realistic sculptures that comment on contemporary life. These two sculptures are among the few surviving examples of his early work, showing the influence of Abstract Expressionism. Hanson was born in Minnesota. He received his BA from Macalester College in 1946 and his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1951. While at college, Hanson was introduced to the dominant artistic trends of the period, which were shifting away from Naturalism toward Abstraction. From 1962-1965, Hanson was an art professor at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. While in Atlanta, he was commissioned to produce several large decorative sculptures for the exterior of buildings, including the Stormy Petrel at the Dorough Field House of Oglethorpe University. It was during his time at Oglethorpe that Hanson met the student to whom these sculptures were given; it was also during this time that he received a grant from the Ella Lyman Cabot Trust to develop his work with life-sized polyester resin and fiberglass sculpture. This work coincided with the Pop Art movement, and Hanson's lifelike sculptures of people engaged in everyday activities drew national and eventually international acclaim. From 1976-78, a major retrospective of his sculptures went on an extended museum tour throughout the United States. One solo exhibition in particular, at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (1978), set all-time attendance records and was influential in establishing Hanson as one of the leading sculptors of the late twentieth century. He settled in Florida, where he lived the remainder of his life. Hanson was named Florida Ambassador of the Arts in 1983. (Biographical information from 1998 Hanson exhibit catalog introduction by James A. Findlay, Librarian, Bienes Center for the Literary Arts). Provenance: Private Collection of a Retired Sculptor and Art Patron, Middle Tennessee. Alternate spelling: Duane Hansen. (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com)
Polyvinyl USA, 1988 Duane Hanson (1925-1996) – American sculptor Signed, titled, inscribed and dated in market on the underside Accompanied by a copy of a letter and polaroids from the artist Dimensions: 9 ¼ x 10 x 5 ½ in. (23.5 x 25.4 x 14 cm.) Very good condition Estimate $20,000-$30,000 Provenance Gift from the artist to the present owner. Supremely devoted to the human form, Duane Hanson is best known for his hyperreal sculptures of middleclass America. Often using volunteers from his local art community in South Florida as models, Hanson also drew inspiration from his family members. Offered here is a rare study of his one-year old grandson, executed in 1988. The bust of his grandson demonstrates his pursuit and desire to capture a fleeting emotion or transient period of life through his hyperreal sculptures. The result is an immediate and uncanny evocation of a human being, with a purge of artistic effects to create a surrogate for reality. Duane Hanson (American, 1925-1996) Born in Alexandria, Minnesota, Duane Hanson received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Arts. Hanson is best known for his lifecast realistic works portraying working-class Americans, associating him with both the Pop Art movement and hyperrealism. His early works comprised life-sized tableaux, while his later sculptures shifted to satirical depictions of everyday people. A survey of Hanson’s work was recently exhibited at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London. His works can be found in the collections of numerous institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the St. Louis Art Museum, among others. Condition Minor surface dirt and areas of paint loss. Otherwise in excellent condition. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.
bronze polychromed in oil, found clothing, hair, duffel bag and sleeping bag, wooden sticks and paper tickets,Figure: 32 by 47 by 27 in. 81.3 by 119.4 by 68.8 cm.,Installation Dimensions Variable,Executed in 1985-87, this work is number 3 from an edition of 4.
PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN COLLECTION 1925 - 1996 BATON TWIRLER polyester resin and fiberglass, polychromed in oil and mixed media Overall: 88 1/2 by 36 by 40 in. 224.8 by 91.4 by 101.6 cm. Executed in 1971.
DUANE HANSON 1925 - 1996 SECURITY GUARD bronze, polychromed in oil, mixed media, with accessories 70 1/2 by 30 by 22 in. 179.1 by 76.2 by 55.9 cm. Executed in 1990.
Duane Hanson (1925-1996) Sunbather bronze, polychromed in oil, mixed media and accessories 34 x 67½ x 25in. (86¾ x 171.5 x 63.5cm.) Executed in 1987-1989, this work is number three from a series of three uniquely painted sculptures
DUANE HANSON Sketch Head. Polyvinyl sculpture, 1980. 330x206x228 mm; 13x8x9 inches. Ex-collection William Ray, California. After expressing interest in his work, Ray was invited by Hanson to his studio in Davie, Florida, in the early 1980s. The meeting forged an instant frienship that lasted until Hanson's death in 1996. The artist, described by Ray as being "accessible, friendly and generous to his students and other artists," gifted the Sketch Head to Ray during a visit to his studio in the early 1980s.
Duane Hanson (1925-1996) Policeman autobody filler, fiberglass and paint with accessories 72 x 18 x 15 in. (183 x 45.5 x 38 cm.) Executed in 1993. This work is from a series of three variants.
Duane Hanson (1925-1996) Beagle in a Basket signed twice, numbered and dated '#4 DUANE HANSON SEPT. 1990' (on the underside) polychromed bronze and polyester cushion with acrylic filling, dog toys and basket 7 x 22 x 16 in. (17.8 x 55.9 x 40.6 cm.) Executed in 1990.
1925-1996 JOGGER life size polyvinyl acetate & mixed media, polychromed in oil with accessories Executed in 1983-84. PROVENANCE Estate of the artist Acquired by the present owner from the above EXHIBITED Dijon, Centre d'art contemporain, Duane Hanson, March - April 1998 Washington, Bellevue Art Museum, Duane Hanson, June - September 2001 Zurich, Kunsthaus, Duane Hanson, March - July 2003 LITERATURE Martin H. Bush, Sculptures by Duane Hanson, Wichita, 1985, fig. no. 14, p. 107, illustrated Kirk Varnedoe, Duane Hanson, New York, 1985, p. 102, illustrated in color Thomas Buchsteiner & Otto Letze, Duane Hanson: More than Reality, New York, 2001, cat. no. 79, p. 122, illustrated in color
Flea Market Lady polychromed bronze, hair, glasses, fabric, magazines, books and metal folding chair life size Executed in 1990-1991. This work is number three from an edition of four variants.
Man with Crutch signed 'Duane Hanson' (on the cast) Polyvinyl polychromed in oil, clothes, crutches, paper cup and straw and chair 52 x 25 1/2 x 48 in. (132 x 64.7 x 122 cm.) Executed in 1980.
polyester resin and Fiberglas, polychromed in oil with clothes, table, chair and accessories Executed in 1971. PROVENANCE O. K. Harris Works of Art, New York Acquired by the present owner from the above on May 20, 1971 for $3,000 EXHIBITED Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Radical Realism, May - June 1971, cat. no. 22 New York, O.K. Harris Works of Art, Duane Hanson, January - February 1972 Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution, on extended loan, 1975-1981 Wichita, Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art; Lincoln, University of Nebraska Galleries; Des Moines Art Center; Berkeley, University Art Museum; Portland Art Museum; Kansas City, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery and Atkins Museum of Fine Arts; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center; Richmond, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Washington, D. C., Corcoran Gallery of Art; New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Duane Hanson, October 1976 - April 1978, p. 3, illustrated (artist seated with sculpture) and p. 42, illustrated Madison, Wisconsin, Elvehjem Art Center, on extended loan, 1981-1984 Chicago, The David and Alfred Smart Gallery, University of Chicago, on extended loan, 1984-1994 Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada, on extended loan, 1994-2005 Montreal, Museum of Fine Arts; Fort Worth, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Duane Hanson, February - October 1994, pl. 9, p. 53, illustrated in color LITERATURE AND REFERENCES Gerrit Henry, "The SoHo Snatcher: Duane Hanson", AA News, vol. 71, March 1972, pp. 50 - 51, illustrated in color In Domus, no. 525, August 1973, p. 13, illustrated in color Gregory Battcock, ed., Super Realism: A Critical Anthology, New York 1975, p. 209, illustrated Thomas Buchsteiner & Otto Letze, eds., Duane Hanson More Than Reality, Ostfildern-Ruit 2001, no. 16, p. 34, illustrated in color CATALOGUE NOTE Duane Hanson's greatest sculptures have a quiet contemplative mood in which a figure of fascinating literalism inhabits its own corner of reality. As the viewer gazes at the particulars of the figure's clothing, features, accessories and environment, one cannot help a feeling of invasiveness or intrusion, but at the same time, a sharp recognition of each quotidian element. Just as the artist was photographed seated with Woman Eating as if he were about to share her ice cream sundae, we could as easily slip into the figure's reality. Unlike other contemporaries who worked in three dimensional formats within the realm of The New Realism or of Pop Art in the 1960s and early 1970s, Hanson's illusion of literalism was all-encompassing from the props to the figure itself. Claes Oldenburg's sculptures of everyday objects are primarily singular subjects - a piece of food, a dress, a flag, a clothespin, or a mouse - presented to us outside of their context. The closely observed nudes of John de Andrea are fascinating in detail but are similarly figures without context. The work of George Segal is closest to Hanson's in its incorporation of real objects or environments, but his figures are rendered with the artifice of plaster and bronze, abandoning any sense of literalism. Hanson sought total integration within his work, blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion Hanson's earliest works of the late 1960s were more aggressive in subject matter, including works of social commentary, such as War (1969) and Race Riot (1969-71), or horrific incident such as Motorcycle Accident (1967). In the 1970s, Hanson's mature figurative work emerged. Implied movement was eliminated as figures are either seated or standing in repose or contemplation. Any overt signs of political commentary or social satire are eliminated or subsumed, and a more introspective, often sadder, mood of isolation predominates, similar to the glimpses of diners in Edward Hopper's Sunlight in Cafeteria. Hopper and Hanson also both opted for portraying "common people" as subjects, but in Hanson's case, the accessories and objects that accompany the figure are more overt signs of social class. From the wing-tipped glasses to her frayed and drab clothing, the Woman Eating is as clearly associated with a certain American milieu as the Supermarket Shopper (1970) with her hair in curlers and her cigarette dangling from her lips, and as the many workers depicted by Hanson from window washers, construction workers, and cleaning women. As Kirk Varnedoe commented, "It is decidedly not the America of mass-market advertising, being neither homey-folksy rural nor urbanely youthful. Hanson's [figures] have been predominantly middle- or lower-middle-class people, belonging to a world of blue-collar service jobs, small business, and diner eating." (Kirk Varnedoe, Duane Hanson, New York 1985, p. 11). In discussing his technique of body-casting for his sculptures, Hanson commented that he often chose heavy set people for their physical impact and presence, and then "I usually portray them as working class types having great dignity, or over-burdened with despair and fatigue due to the complexities of our time." (Ibid., p. 37) Hanson cast his figures from life and his technique became increasingly sophisticated. While body-casting may seem a straightforward and simplistic way to capture a realistic figure, elements of the process actually dictate a great deal of effort and artistry to maintain the sense of literalism. The process for the initial mold-making is not entirely comfortable for the sitter, so a slight sense of awkwardness or artificiality can enter into the pose. The initial molds, done in various sections rather than an entire body cast, are then used to form the vinyl casts which are mixed with tinted paints and paraffin to achieve a more flexible and flesh-like material. The individual parts are put together with hot vinyl and soldering irons, with seams and imperfections melted and smoothed. Careful color and pigmentation applications are a process of great and arduous subtlety, indicating a heightened degree of artistic effort that is mirrored in the careful choice of accessories. The realism of the figure in Woman Eating is mirrored in the infinite details of the crumpled napkin, chocolate covered spoons, crumpled shopping bag and TV Guide and newspaper tabloids.
Old Man Playing Solitaire polyester and fiberglass polychromed with oil, clothes, glasses, glasses case, wrist watch, pipe, card table, chair, coffee mug, plate, matches and cards 50 x 35 x 55 in. (127.1 x 88.9 x 139.7 cm.) Executed in 1973.
Policeman autobody filler, fiberglass and paint with accessories 72 x 18 x 15 in. (183 x 45.5 x 38 cm.) Executed in 1993. This work is from a series of three variants. PROVENANCE Helander Gallery, Palm Beach.
Housewife (Homemaker) oil, fiberglass, hair, fabric, curlers, eyeglasses, armchair, ottoman, suitcase, hairdryer, cup, saucer, cigarettes, slippers and magazines 44 x 35 x 61 in. (111.7 x 88.9 x 155 cm.) Execeuted in 1969-1970. PROVENANCE O.K. Harris, New York Galerie Schmela, Dsseldorf LITERATURE U. Kultermann, Radikaler Realismus, T—bingen, 1972, p. 35 (illustrated). K. Varnedoe, Duane Hanson, New York, 1985, p. 45, no. 4 (illustrated in color). P. Comar, Images of the Body, New York, 1999, p. 51 (illustrated). P. H. Feist, Figur und Objekt: Plastik im 20.Jahrhundert, Leipzig, 1996, p. 234 (illustrated in color). C. Breyhan, Duane Hanson: Housewife: Triumph der Knstlichkeit, Ostfildern-Ruit, 2000, pp. 40, 42-43 (illustrated in color and on the cover). T. Buschsteiner and O. Letze, eds., Duane Hanson: more than reality, Ostfildern-Ruit, 2001, pp. 4 and 28-29 (illustrated in color). B. Kerber, Best„nde Onnasch, Berlin and Bremen, 1992, p. 91 (illustrated in color). EXHIBITION Dsseldorf, Galerie Schmela, Meisterwerke des 20. Jahrhunderts, 1972, p. 30 (illustrated). Stuttgart, Wrttembergischer Kunstverein; Aachen, Neue Galerie, and Berlin, Akademie der Knste, Duane Hanson: erste Retrospektive des Amerikanischen Bildhauers, 1974-1975, p. 31, no. 10 (illustrated in color). Humlebaek, Louisiana Museum, Duane Hanson, 1975, p. 7 (illustrated). Berlin, Nationalgalerie, Aspekte der 60er Jahre, February-April 1978, p. 33 (illustrated in color and on the cover). Duisberg, Lehmbruck Museum, Das Bild der Frau in der Plastik des 20.Jh, 1986, p. 157 (illustrated in color). Kunsthalle Tbingen/Kunstverein Tbingen; Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle K”ln; Kunstverein in Hamburg; Berlin, Haus am Waldsee; Neue Galerie der Stadt Linz; Wolfgang-Gurlitt-Museum and KunstHausWien, Duane Hanson Skulpturen, November 1990-April 1992, p. 53 (illustrated in color). Kunsthaus Zurich and Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hypermental: Wahnhafte Wirklichkeit von Salvador Dali bis Jeff Koons, 1950-2000, November 2000-May 2001, p. 59 (illustrated). Museu d'Art Contemporain de Barcelona and Museu Serralves, Museu d'Arte Contemporanea, Onnasch: Aspects of Contemporary Art, November 2001-February 2002, p. 203 (illustrated in color).
Flea Market Vendor polychromed bronze, hair, sunglasses, fabric, pencil, magazine and metal folding chair lifesize Executed in 1990. PROVENANCE O.K. Harris, New York EXHIBITION Naussau County Museum of Art, Three Realist Sculptors: Segal, Hanson, de Andrea, September 1999-January 2000. Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art; Flint Institute of the Arts; New York, Whitney Museum of American Art; Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Duane Hanson: A Survey of His Work from the '30's to the '90's, January 1998-June 1999, pp. 42-43, pl. 17 (another example of the edition illustrated and exhibited).
Old Couple on a Bench autobody filler, fiberglass and mixed media with accessories lifesize Executed in 1994. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist EXHIBITION Leipzig, Galerie fur Zeitgen”ssische Kunst, Weather Everything, August-October 1998 London, Royal Festival Hall, Duane Hanson on the Ballroom, December 1998-January 1999 Washington, Bellevue Art Museum, Duane Hanson, June-October 2001 NOTES Driven by the quest to maintain an honest contact to "real life", Hanson spent most of his professional career in South Florida, where the subjects of his works were everywhere and abundant. Rendered with tremendous empathy and familiarity, Hanson's figures are typically ordinary folks, with a special emphasis on the working class. They appear to lack style, self-consciousness and awareness that they are the subjects of a work of art. In Old Couple on a Bench, a man and woman, exemplify the clich‚ of Florida retirees. She is corpulent and overweight and dressed in loud clothing, he sports a sunburned, balding head and pale, white ankles. Though they are seated far apart and each is lost in thought, it is obvious they are a couple. As a signifier of the middle class, he is holding a JCPenny bag. While Hanson's works are regarded as classics of Pop and Photorealism, his work avoids the aloof, ironic stance of many of his peers, favoring instead, personal proximity and intimacy. Though clearly in tune with the prevailing trends in the artworld, Hanson was able to maintain an outsider's position. It was his insistence on not becoming enmeshed in the hubris of art centers like New York and Los Angeles that allowed his work to remain fresh and engaging. This outsider quality is exemplified in Old Couple on a Bench. Hanson captures the nuance of the couples personalities with their staunchly Middle-American values, his rendering is devoid of mockery. As is often the case, the artist who works independently comes to wield an enormous amount of influence on the thinking of future generations. Hanson's sculptures are a pre-cursor to such contemporary artists as Charles Ray, Ron Mueck, Jeff Koons and the Chapman Brothers. Each of these artists, in distinct ways, has come to understand new possibilites in realist sculpture due at least in part to Hanson's insistence on championing the everyday.
Security Guard polychromed bronze with accessories lifesize Executed in 1990. PROVENANCE OK Harris Gallery, New York EXHIBITION Montreal, Mus‚e Des Beaux-Arts; and Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Duane Hanson, February-October 1994, p. 62 (illustrated) Dijon, Centre d'art Contemporain, Duane Hanson, March-June 1998 London, Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery, Duane Hanson on the Ballroom, December 1998-January 1999 Palm Springs Desert Museum, Virtual Reality, September-December 2000, p. 54 (illustrated) Washington, Bellevue Art Museum, Duane Hanson, June-October 2001 NOTES "While Hanson is careful to preserve the purity of the idea of recreating, in sculptural form, the presence of a living, breathing human being, ultimately it is only as a concept that such direct parity between human source and sculptural object can be attained. Since the effect must be that of a miraculous, effortless and instantaneous apparition, it is irrelevant to the perception of his art that he has recourse to a great many of the techniques of traditional sculpture - piecing together, modelling, reworking, painting - beyond making moulds and pouring casts. There can be no sign of the struggle involved in bringing a figure into being." (M. Livingstone, Duane Hanson, New York 1997) Unsurpassed for their unnerving realism, Hanson tunes into the minds of his subjects so that each sculpture wears the physical and pyschological burden of life and everyday living. The overall impact is bittersweet-- the fun and cleverness of the illusion is married with a shared empathy for the character by both artist and viewer.
DUANE HANSON (1925-1996) Baton Twirler polyester resin and Fiberglas, polychromed in oil and mixed media overall: 88 1/2 by 36 by 40 in. 224.8 by 91.4 by 101.6 cm. Executed in 1970. PROVENANCE O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York Galerie Thelen, Cologne Klaus Wolf, Germany Sotheby's New York, November 9, 1983, lot 64 Acquired from the above by the present owner EXHIBITED Wichita, Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art; Lincoln, University of Nebraska Art Galleries; Des Moines Art Center; Berkeley, University Art Museum; Portland Art Museum; Kansas City, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery and Atkins Museum of Fine Arts; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center; Richmond, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Washington, D.C., Corcoran Gallery of Art; New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Duane Hanson, 1976-1978, p.33, illustrated LITERATURE Martin H. Bush, Sculptures by Duane Hanson, Wichita, 1985, p. 47, p. 62, illustrated
![HANSON, DUANE (1925-1996) [Study for Businessman Reading], 1983.](https://stageimg.invaluable.com/housePhotos/doyle/13/630413/H0061-L157049995.jpg)
