David von Schlegell

David Von Schlegell (May 25, 1920 – October 5, 1992) was an American abstract artist, sculptor and educator.

Early life and education

David von Schlegell was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1920, the son of American impressionist artist William von Schlegell and painter Alice "Bae" Anderson. At the University of Michigan in the early 1940s, his concentration was on naval and aviation engineering. During WWII, he served in the United States Army Air Forces from 1943 to 1944, becoming a first lieutenant. On a mission over the Mediterranean, he was shot down and while wounded, flew his B17 with his crew to safety.For his bravery he was awarded a Purple Heart.

After the war, he joined the Art Students League of New York where his father taught, and continued to study painting with him in the artist's community of Ogunquit, Maine.

Career

He showed his paintings regionally in the 1950s. In the early 1960s David von Schlegell built his own home and studio in Cape Neddick, Maine. During that time, he turned to making sculpture, soon establishing himself as an eminent sculptor showing in Boston. He moved from wood to large scale works of polished steel and aluminum developing  streamlined abstract forms and planes, often held in place by rigging wire, drawing from Constructivism and his lifelong interest in naval and airplane design.

He had his first one-man show of sculpture in New York City at the Royal Marks Gallery in 1965. He relocated to New York city the following year. In 1966, his work was presented in Kynaston McShine’s survey of 1960’s sculpture, "Primary Structures" at the Jewish Museum, an exhibition that helped establish Minimalism. This was followed by the Whitney Biennial, where his ''Radio Controlled Sculpture'' was exhibited. He showed with Reese Palley Gallery in New York, and then with the "Park Place Group" of sculptors including Mark di Suvero, Ronald Bladen, and Robert Grosvenor(link) in 1968. His work was included in the Carnegie International and in other large scale exhibitions.

von Schlegell began to design and build his first large-scale outdoor sculpture for the Storm King Art Center in 1969–1970. Other large scale public sculpture followed: ''Untitled Landscape'' 1972 in I. M. Pei 's India Wharf Project in Boston.

In 1971 David von Schlegell was appointed head of the Yale School of Art, Sculpture Department which he ran for two decades. His students of note include Don Gummer, Roni Horn, Jessica Stockholder, Ann Hamilton, Matthew Barney, Sean Landers, and Katsuhisa Sakai. He joined the roster of New York's Pace Gallery in the 1970s, showing hand made wood sculpture in New York through the 70s and 80s. In the early 90s, facing cancer, he returned to painting, creating a final series of monochromes. He died on October 5, 1992 in New Haven, Connecticut at the age of 72.

In 2012 the David von Schlegell retrospective at the China Art Objects Gallery in Los Angeles, included ''Five Birds'' from 1988. The retrospective was curated by Mark von Schlegell, R.H.Quaytman, and Susan Howe.

Personal life

In 1953 David married Mary W. Keep in Ogunquit, Maine. They had four children, Lisa, Julia, Rosemary, and Anthony.

In 1966, David von Schlegell and Mary Keep separated and he moved to New York City. In 1967, he and poet Susan Howe had a child, writer Mark von Schlegell. His step-daughter is R H Quaytman. Susan Howe and David von Schlegell married in 1986.

Art

Sculptures

Inspired by his wartime experience as an aircraft engineer, he worked mostly with aluminum, steel, and wood. His indoor work was featured at many important exhibitions of the 1960s, and by the 70s he was a prominent public sculptor. His large scale works can be found in cities across America, including ''Untitled (L's)'' on IUPUI's campus.

Painting and drawings

In addition to sculpting, Von Schlegell also made paintings and drawings. After dedicating his ''Untitled (L's)'', he also had an exhibition in IUPUI's Lecture Hall and at the Herron School of Art displaying his photographs and drawings from the project.

Public Works

*''West End'', located in the Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection, Albany, NY, 1966
*''Untitled'', Storm King Art Center, 1969-1970
*''Untitled Landscape'', I. M. Pei 's India Wharf Project, Boston, 1972
*''Marina'', a polished metal sculpture currently on long-term loan from Miami-Dade Art in Public Places from the J. Patrick Lannan Foundation.
*Voyage of Ulysses, Byrne-Greene Courthouse, Philadelphia, 1977
*Southern High School, Baltimore. 1977
*Purdue University, Indianapolis, 1978
*Godard Memorial, Clark University, Worcester, MA, 1979
* ''Untitled (L's'') A site-specific installation on the campus of IUPUI, 1980
*''Untitled Landscape'', located in Boston, Massachusetts at India Wharf on the Boston waterfront.
*''Westward,'' Sawyer Point, Cincinnati, 1980
*''Northern Light,'' Pittsburg, 1982
*''Pilot's Memorial,'' Tulsa International Airport, Tulsa, 1984
*Fountain, Capitol Mall, Sacramento, 1985
*''Eagle'', Capitol Office Building, Hartford, 1989
*''Ascending Birds'', New Haven City Hall, 1989

See also

A David von Schlegell Timeline

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schlegell, David Von
1920 births
1992 deaths
Artists from St. Louis
University of Michigan alumni
United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
20th-century American sculptors
20th-century American male artists
American male sculptors
Art Students League of New York alumni
Yale School of Art faculty
Sculptors from New York (state)
Sculptors from Missouri