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. He was wounded on a mission over the Mediterranean, but managed to fly his badly damaged B-17 bomber and its 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. He developed streamlined abstract forms and planes, often held in place by rigging wire, drawing from Constructivism and his lifelong interest in naval and airplane design. His students of note include Don Gummer, Roni Horn, Jessica Stockholder, Ann Hamilton, Matthew Barney, Sean Landers, and Katsuhisa Sakai. The retrospective was curated by Mark von Schlegell, R.H.Quaytman, and Susan Howe.

Personal life Voyage of Ulysses (1977), James A. Byrne United States Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Untitled (1966), at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, MissouriIn 1953 von Schlegell married Mary W. Keep in Ogunquit, Maine. They had four children, Lisa, Julia, Rosemary, and Anthony. His step-daughter is R H Quaytman.

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, Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh, 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 The Gate, Thompson Hill Visitor Center, Duluth, MN, 1976