David Adickes

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David Pryor Adickes
David Adickes.jpg
David Adickes at the LBJ Presidential Library in 2015
Born1927 (age 93–94)
Huntsville, Texas
NationalityAmerican
Known forSculpture
Notable work
A Tribute to Courage

David Pryor Adickes (born 1927, Huntsville, Texas) is a modernist sculptor and painter.[1] His most famous work is the 67-foot tall A Tribute to Courage statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville, Texas.[2]

Life and career[]

Adickes was born in Huntsville, Texas in 1927.[3]

In 1949, Adickes travelled to France to study under Fernand Léger. After two years, he returned to Texas and began presenting his work.[4] In 1955, Adickes was commissioned to paint a large historical mural of the city for the then-new Houston Club. That fall, he was hired to teach in the Art Department of the University of Texas at Austin.[5][4]

In 1983, after being a fulltime painter and art instructor for more than two decades, Adickes was commissioned to make his first monumental sculpture. He created the Virtuoso, a 36-foot steel and concrete statue of a string trio. It is displayed in Houston.[6] In 1986, he created Cornet as a stage prop for the New Orleans World Fair.[7] In 1994, he created A Tribute to Courage in memory of Houston's namesake, Sam Houston. In 2004, he created 43 large busts of American presidents at Presidents Park, Virginia.[8] In 2006, he erected 60-foot statue of Stephen F. Austin in Brazoria County, Texas.[9] In 2012, he turned his old high school in Huntsville into the Adickes Art Foundation Museum.[10]

Gallery of selected works[]

Museum Collections[]

References[]

  1. ^ Edwards, Katie Robinson (2014). Midcentury Modern Art in Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 184. ISBN 9780292756595. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  2. ^ Dregni, Eric (2006). Midwest Marvels: Roadside Attractions Across Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wisconsin. U of Minnesota Press. p. 299. ISBN 9780816642908. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  3. ^ David Adickes Description reavesart.com Retrieved 25 July 2018
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "One-Man Show Opens at Laguna Gloria Sunday". Austin American-Statesman. May 19, 1957. p. 9. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  5. ^ "TEXAS ARTIST: DAVID ADICKES". Vogt Auction. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  6. ^ Little, Carol Morris (1996). A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 247. ISBN 9780292760363. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  7. ^ Little, p. 229.
  8. ^ Billock, Jennifer. "How 43 Giant, Crumbling Presidential Heads Ended Up in a Virginia Field". Smithsonian. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  9. ^ Warren, Susan (January 18, 2006). "Concrete Cowboy: Sculptor of Tall Art Sets Sights Higher; Texan David Adickes Renders Presidents, the Beatles; Now Aiming for 280 Feet". The Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ Hlavaty, Craig (June 19, 2015). "Documentary on Houston sculptor David Adickes in the works". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 12, 2018.

External links[]


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