DUANE HANSON

LIFE AND WORK

DUANE HANSON
Duane Hanson was born on January 17, 1925 in
Alexandria, Minnesota. He died on January 6,
1996 in Boca Raton, Florida.
He was an American sculptor known for his
hyperrealistic works of people, made of various
materials, including polyester resin, fiberglass,
Bondo, or bronze.
He didnt like to be called a Photorealist. He
thought of himself as more of a Vernacularist.
Although critics compare his work to figures in a
wax museum, the content of his sculptures is more
complex and subtly expressive than that normally
found in waxworks.
CHARACTERISTICS OF HANSON'S ART
uses live models then adjusts to fit conception
meticulous details of skin and hair
sculptures represent a certain situation in life
social observer
sculptures wear underpants
"ugly" American types (i.e. tourists, old people, shoppers, construction workers, etc.)
sculptures stare vacantly into space
life-size figures
dressed in real clothing
predominantly middle to lower class people, blue collar service jobs
SUPERMARKET SHOPPER
1970
1977
WOMAN WITH DOG
1977
SELF-PORTRAIT WITH MODEL
1979
QUEENIE II
1988
TOURISTS II
1988
OLD
COUPLE
ON A
BENCH
1994
MORE OF HIS WORKS
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."
"...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."
"Working in three dimensions has always been a challenge. I think that I've got it
down pretty well, now.
"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."