The Modern Artist Cafe


Proposed figure in the style of Duane Hanson by A.K..


Proposed figure of a cleaner in the style of Duane Hanson by A.K.

Duane Hanson

(1925-1996)

by A. K.


Proposed figure of a bird watcher in the style of Duane Hanson by A. K.

 

Background

Duane Hanson was born in Alexandria, Minnesota in 1925. He was the son of a dairy farmer.He took up a great interest with the art of human form. At age thirteen, Hanson carved a miniature sculpture of Thomas Gainsborough's The Blue Boy out of a piece of wood. In following his passion for art, Hanson received a BA from Malcalester College located in St. Paul in 1946 and later studied sculpter at Cranbrook Academy. In 1953, Hanson moved to Germany, where he remained until 1960. After moving first to Atlanta, Georgia, he then moved to Florida in 1965, where he stayed until his death in 1996. In 1974, Hanson worked on a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) grant. Although a talented and skillful artist, the art world turned it's back on Hanson in the 1980's. Hanson died in 1996 after developing lymphatic cancer due to toxic resin and fixative fumes from his years of sculpting. Hanson's art career lasted more than thirty years, with his major successes and popularity in the 1960's and 1970's.


Proposed sculpture of man with mower in the style of Duane Hanson by A.K.

Characteristics of Hanson's Art

These are some of the notable characteristics and styles of his sculptures.

  • Sculpts uncanny, hyperrealist figures
  • Uses live models then adjusts to fit conception
  • Meticulous details of skin and hair
  • Realistic
  • Sculptures represent a certain situation in life
  • Social observer
  • Documents his time accurately ("warts an' all")
  • Sculptures wear underpants
  • "ugly" American types (i.e. tourists, old people, shoppers, construction workers, etc.)
  • sculptures stare vacantly into space
  • viewing distance = up close
  • life-size figures
  • comment on contemporary life (i.e. winged glasses)
  • dressed in real clothing
  • predominantly middle to lower class people, blue collar service jobs
  • works in polyester resin and fiber glass


Proposed sculpture of woman with paper in the style of Duane Hanson by A.K.

Quotes from Hanson

  • " To me," he says, "basically they're sculptures...I want the whole thing to create a mood that comes through the forms when they're right." (Hanson's sculptures are more than works of art. They are symbols of human thoughts and feelings.)

  • "...I always like bringing out the weight and the communication of a certain amount of heaviness that I find in our time - a kind of sadness." (Hanson's sculptures are realistic. They were not created to be what was fashionable or hip. They are not Hollywood's version of what people "should" look like. They are truth.)

  • " Working in three dimensions has always been a challenge. I think that I've got it down pretty well, now." (This comment was made by Hanson not long before his death. I, as well as many art critics, would say that Hanson "had it down pretty well" too!)

  • " I have nothing to do with it, and have suffered from it. When I went to art school, realism was a no-no. You always had to use your imagination and never copy. I see more inside these sculptures than outside. That is what I manipulate to make forms look right and achieve a credibility. I never wanted to be tradition-bound to so-called 'realist' concepts or procedures. I don't even like to discuss it." (Hanson's "pet-peeve" would have been the fact that he was called a Photorealist. He thought of himself as more of a Vernacularist.)


Why is Hanson Important?

Duane Hanson was many times categorized as a Photorealist. However, he says that that was the thing that annoyed him the most about his career. A photorealist is an artist that tries to create art just how it would look in a picture. This means that their purpose is just to replicate objects exactly like they look in real life. Hanson thought of himself as a Vernacularist, which is someone who mimics everyday speech (talking and body language). The object of Hanson's talents was not entirely to recreate the visible, but to give life to ideas or feelings that are not normally thought of or expressed. The sculptures are attractive, appealing. You want to go up and talk to them, to find out their story. They portray states of mind, feelings and inner qualities. They cause us to examine ourselves. They are so much more than manikins. They are parts and pieces of ourselves that we try to hide or conceal. They bring out that part of everyone that exists, but no one wants to flaunt or make others aware of. When looking at Hanson's sculptures, we think "I'm not one of those people". However, we all have the potential to be examples of Hanson. Hanson is correct. He is much more than a photorealist. In creating what we look like on the outside, Hanson illustrates what we are on the inside.


Notable Artwork of Hanson

These are some of Hanson's most famous sculptures, including his first and last pieces.


Modern Followers & Influences

Where would you find Hanson's Art?



This page was created on February 23, 2001 by A.K. for History & Thought of Western Man, Rich East High School
Last Update, 3/9/01

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