Duane Hanson

1. Realistic Representation Duane Hanson

2. "I'm not duplicating life. I'm making a statement about human values," - Duane Hanson

3. Enduring Understanding Through the study of these artworks, students discover: 1.Why naturalism is selected as a means of expression. 2.How artists use the mechanism of realistic representation to realise its purpose and function.

4. Essential Questions Overarching Questions 1. What are the criteria for a realistic artwork? 2. How do artists use realistic representation to express their artistic intentions? 3. How do artists use realistic representation as a mechanism to express social issues? Topical Questions 1. How is the subject matter in the artwork being represented? 2. Which artist is more successful in using realistic representation to express social issues? 3. Which artist is more successful in depicting a high level of technical skill?

5. 5W1H

6. Keywords/phrases • Hyperrealism • Social Realism • Sculpture • Life-like • Blur boundary between art and life • Mundane everyday life • Life casting

8. Key Dates 1925: Born in Minnesota, America Midwest. 1944: Enrolled into the University of Washington in Seattle but never graduated from there. 1946: B.F.A. from Macalester College in Saint Paul. 1951: M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. 1952: First solo exhibition at Wilton Gallery. 1961: Returned to US and taught at Oglethorpe College. 1996: Died of cancer due to over-exposure to his media.

9. When The social and cultural happenings which affects the artist and his works

10. When 1939-45: World War II. 1950s: Abstract Expressionism • indicated a shift away from naturalism toward abstraction 1955-69s: Civil Rights Movement Racial Riots • made his sculptures in the spirit of contemporaneous social protest and political agitation movements 1960s: Pop Art • encouraged Hanson to yield to his naturalistic inclinations

11. When 1957-73: Vietnam War. 1971: High Unemployment Social Discontent 1980 : Ronald Reagan (surge of confidence in the society but US became the world’s greatest debtor in economy)

12. Where America, Florida Germany

13. Where • Germany (1953 to 1960 ) • began to experiment with synthetic media, in particular polyester resin and fiberglass • America, NY (1960s) • Social and political unrest

14. His artworks

15. Abortion, 1965 Clay, fibreglass and polyester resin, 60 cm long

16. War, 1967

17. Race Riot, 1967

18. Housewife, 1970 Polyester and fiberglass, polychromed in oil,with accessories Life-size

19. Young Shopper, 1973 Polyester resin and fibreglass, polychromed in oil with accessories, life size

20. Queenie II,1988 Polychromed bronze, with accessories, life size

21. Tourists II, 1988 Autobody filler, fibreglass and mixed media, with accessories life size

22. Drug Addict, 1974

23. Museum Guard, mixed media, 1975

24. Man on a bench, 1977 Polyvinyl polychromed in oil and mixed media with accessories,

26. Which Photorealism Social Realism

27. Which Photorealism (late 1960s to early 1970s) • America witnessed a return to figurative painting in the 1960s as a challenge against Abstract Expressionism. • A reaction against Minimalism. • Realistic, detailed paintings and sculptures. • “Naturalistic form” and “illusionistic space”- presented like flat snapshots, colour slides with photographicexcellence. - Hugh Honour – • Copied from photographs • Appear photographic • Started from the States and spread to Europe. - Artlex-

28. Abstract Expressionism A Brief Overview Technique • Paint is applied rapidly, and with force to the huge canvases to show feelings and emotions. • Artists paint gesturally, applying paint with large brushes, dripping or even throwing it onto canvas Subject Matter • Usually no effort to represent subject matter.

29. Abstract Expressionism A Brief Overview Philosophy • Works depend on supposed accident and chance, but which is actually highly planned • The spontaneity of the artists' approach to their work draws from and release the creativity of their unconscious minds. • The expressive method of painting was often considered as important as the painting itself.

30. Social Realism • Also Realism with a capital ‘R’. • Denotes a mid-19th century art movement of the realist school. • Concerned with social realities. • Showed facts rather than ideals. • Rejected Academic Art (see next slide) and Romanticism. • Dealt with the harshness of life- poverty, human degradation.

31. Academic Art • Art based on academic principles. • Art academies originated from late 16th century Italy. • These academies raised the social status of artists from that of an apprentice under the medieval system. • Examples are Royal Academy of Art in London, and Académie des Beaux-Arts. • These institutions stressed a system of art training that is strictly confined to a hierarchy of subjects. • They are classified in ranking order according to historic painting first, then portraits and landscapes, and finally still-life and scenes of everyday life (ideals). • It is this system and the system of official support that led to its demise- rejected by the modern artists.

32. What Subject matter working-class Americans Themes Socio-Political Criticism Comical Caricature The Downtrodden

33. What • Subject Matter • People of the middle or lower class. • "slice-of-life" figures in their ordinary activities • Stereotypes. • Everyday heroes (those that work the nuts and bolts of the economy). • Victims (eg. of racism) .

34. What Socio-Political Criticism • Ruling against abortion like Abortion, 1965. • The lack of welfare like Welfare, 1967. • Discrimination like Race Riot, 1967. • Organized crime like Gangland Victim, 1967. • America’s intervention in Vietnam like War, 1967

35. What • Comical Caricatures • Satirical pieces on the society. • Some examples- Tourists, 1970. Supermarket Shopper, 1970. Housewife, 1970. Sunbather, 1971. Lady with Shopping Bags, 1972. The Downtrodden • People who fall behind in a rapidly evolving society. • The mundane and banal side of America. • Working class- those who work with their hands.

36. What Showing reality of life using art • Confusion between reality and fiction. • Creating non-verbal communication between viewer and sculpture.

37. What Paradox • His lifelike figures seem incapable of escaping their situations. Yet… • the courage they show in enduring this fate expresses the dignity and nobility that Hanson found in the common American.

38. Why Artist Intention/Philosophy Influences

39. Why His philosophy • Art is life and life is realistic. • Farming environment shaped his moral character- respected those earning a living doing manual labour. "I'm mostly interested in the human form as subject matter and means of expression for my sculpture. What can generate more interest, fascination, beauty, ugliness, joy, shock or contempt than a human being." - Duane Hanson

40. Why His Intention • To express his critical view of life/reality through art • To create public awareness. • To show the mundane everyday lives of Americans by capturing hidden sentiment such as emptiness. • to represent a cross-section of American society by focusing on the singularities of individuals

41. Why His Intention • to evoke emotional responses from the audience by communicating the internal attitudes and experiences of his subjects * audience forced to face challenging issues without the psychic distancing inherent to television and newspaper reports * invade reality in an urgent and physical way: as three-dimensional forms, usually life-size, sharing viewers' space and incorporating real objects

42. Why Influences • He met Alonzo Hauser and John Rood (sculptors) in Minnesota (see next slide). • He was impressed with Rood’s figural works. • He went to Munich to teach at schools affiliated with the American army for a period of four years. • He met George Gryo, a sculptor who worked with polyester resin and fiberglass • He returned to US in 1961 and taught at Oglethorpe College, and began experimenting with polyester resin. (No one at that time was using the medium).

43. Samples by Hauser and Rood Female Figure, 1939 by John Rood Wood , 43.2 x 30.5 cm "Buckminster" Fuller, 1953 by Alonzo Hauser Bronze, 14"

44. Why Influences • He moved to Miami in 1965 and began a new teaching career with Miami Dade College. This is where he became interested in George Segal and Jasper Johns. • These artists viewed the banality and triviality of everyday life as iconographic material. • He was later impressed by the two-dimensional works of the Photorealists.

45. Influence from George Segal Street Crossing, 1992Bronze with white patina, Depression Bread Line, 1999cast bronze 2/7, 108" x 148" x 36"

46. How Techniques/Medium

47. How • He began to cast from live models in 1967. • He had to exaggerate the light and shade, particularly around the eyes to achieve a realistic effect. • Sculptures have blank look like robots, introspective, emotional indifference, depression • He usually chose poses that are in a state of repose or static in between activities

48. How Process of his sculpture • Tried to determine pose (usually typical of character) by taking photos of live models until satisfied with figure’s position. • Formed molds of each part of the subject’s body. • Dried molds were cut off from the model. • Molds filled with flesh coloured polyester resin reinforced with fibreglass.

49. How Process of his sculpture • Working from feet up, body parts re-assembled to create figure that looks natural. • Painted cast sculptures with acrylic first, then oil paint. • Added materials- nail polish applied on fingernails, wigs for hair, aging clothes with dirt, bleach or paint.

50. How (Summary) Medium • polyester resin and fibreglass • Acrylic • Oil paint • Readymades (eg. Nail polish, wig) What are readymades? Go and research on it.