William Underhill
William Underhill | |
|---|---|
 William Underhill, c. 1985 | |
| Born | April 13, 1933 |
| Occupation | Metalsmith |
| Spouse(s) | Linda (Leshinski) Underhill
(m. 1989; died 2011) |
| Children | 3 |
William Underhill (born 1933) is an American sculptor.
Early life[]
Underhill was born on April 13, 1933, the son of Alfred Underhill and Katharine Gibbs Underhill.[1] He studied at California College of Arts & Crafts, and the University of California, Berkeley with Peter Voulkos[2] and Richard O'Hanlon.[3] He was drafted into the US Army in 1957, and served in Germany. After being discharged from the Army in 1959, he returned to the University of California, Berkeley where he received his B.A. in art in 1960 and his art M.A. in 1961.[1] In 1965, Underhill moved with his family to Brooklyn, NY where he taught at the Pratt Institute.
Academic career[]
Alfred University invited Underhill to conduct a workshop in 1968. In 1969, he was offered a permanent position, where he taught sculpture until 1997.[4][5] Underhill started Alfred University's first bronze foundry. He received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and from the New York State Council for the Arts.
Work[]
In 1961, Underhill helped establish a foundry at Berkeley where he began to cast bronze sculptural forms.[2] His technique involved using a clay vessel or mold coated with wax, essentially making a negative of the bronze casting. This is known as the lost wax process. Throughout his career, he made distinct geometric pots on stands and legs.
Underhill received several commissions for large steel installations through J. Gordon Lippincott.[1] A significant early work was Ursa Major at the Lynden Sculpture Garden near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The work is a trapezoidal abstract sculpture made of Cor-Ten [steel] and stands over 16m (53 feet) long and 8m (26 feet) high. Another outdoor installation is The Bride and Groom, at the Museum of the Creative Process in Manchester, Vermont.[6]
In September, 1990, he installed the King Alfred the Great statue on the Alfred University campus. The statue stands as a landmark in the center of AU's quad and has become part of the university's annual traditions.[7]
Personal life[]
William Underhill married photographer Linn Underhill née Baldwin on June 25, 1957. The couple had three children—Sarah, Joseph, and Katherine. The marriage ended in divorce. In 1989, Underhill married author and fellow Alfred University faculty member Linda Underhill, née Leshinski. They remained married until her death in 2011.
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Oral history interview with William Underhill". Smithsonian Institution. June 8, 2002.
- ^ Jump up to: a b LeBow, Ed (Winter 1987). "William Underhill: Organic Geometry". Metalsmith Magazine.
- ^ "Artist Talk: William Underhill". O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA. August 18, 2015.
- ^ "Alfred University : Alfred Stories : William Underhill". alfred.edu.
- ^ https://www.wellsvillecreativeartscenter.com/aboutus/faculty.cfm
- ^ "Bride and Groom". Museum of the Creative Process.
- ^ "Annual Traditions". Alfred University.
External links[]
- Official website
- Oral history interview with William Underhill, 2002 June 8, Archives of American Art
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