Bidspirit auction | Richard Gillespie (1935-2021)

Richard Gillespie (1935-2021) - RICHARD GILLESPIE (1935-2021) WELDED STEEL SCULPTURE. Richard Gillespie (1935-2021) Gizzy Miyake 2002 The towering welded, riveted and and rolled steel sculpture incorporates the unusual feature of a cast human face not seen in other Gillespie works. Unsigned, this work is from the artist's estate. A letter of authenticity is included. Gillespie's self-portrait Gizzy Miyake echoes the architectural silhouettes and bodily abstractions of Issy Miyake, the Japanese fashion designer, or better yet, David Byrne in his iconic 'Big Suit' from 1983. Both were inspired by the costumes of Japanese theatre, where exaggerated silhouettes become vehicles for transformation, alternate identities, and blurred boundaries between appearance and reality. With a larger-than-life steel exoskeleton, the broad shouldered male figure is portrayed in a full length garment buttoned up the front by steel rivets; an industrial facade that perhaps encloses some living being. The cast human face, its mouth plugged or stifled, is mirrored by what must be Gizzy's alter ego, a bird-like motif seen in other Gillespie sculptures that often examine death, or, more accurately, life on the other side. At the top is an architectural crown reminiscent of a halo. Reviewing an exhibition of the Richard Gillespie's work, art critic Kate Hackman writing for the Kansas City Star said, 'In today's art world, where ephemeral installations and nontraditional materials are the norm, one is sometimes left craving solid, weighty objects of a more recognizable nature. Gillespie's commanding sculptures satisfy that yen and possess an impact that sustains and deepens over time.' Richard's work has been exhibited at the Whitney Biennial (1975), the Spencer Museum of Art, Leedy-Voulkos Gallery, and Sherry Leedy's Grand Opening Exhibition in January of 2000 alongside works by Jun Kaneko and Dale Chihuly, He was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts and Mid-America Arts Alliance Fellowship for Sculpture in 1985. Later, his work The USS Coalbucket was acquired by the Nelson-Atkins Museum, thanks in part to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. He earned his B.F.A from the Kansas City Art Institute, and his M.A. at Stanford University in 1968. Richard was Professor Emeritus of Sculpture at the University of Kansas, where he taught for nearly three decades. Raised in Kansas City, Kansas, he grew up around and worked his first jobs in the industrial workshops of his Strawberry Hill neighborhood, In a 1978 interview, wearing his trademark vest, a straw hat, faded denims and a bandana at the neck, he recalled, 'I always had an appreciation for tools and equipment. I was raised around and worked in machine shops, and in foundries. It's only logical that I do my work in these terms.' The terms he refers to are the tools, steel, rivets and welds that were his palette, brush and canvas. Richard was a blue-collar artist. As an associate professor at KU, he would introduce his students to folk music. He was famous for the annual tours he led his students on through through rural Kansas to the grass roots sculpture gardens and iconic folk art monuments like The Garden of Eden. He is credited with discovering the Kansas outsider artist Ernie Hansen (1897-1992), and arranging his first exhibition at Kansas Univeristy, Richard's classroom was literally a gritty workshop (take a tour here archive.org/details/richard-gillespie-kustudio-1991 ) yet he influenced countless artists - both sculptors and painters alike. Following his death, the Nebraska painter Keith Jacobshagen recalled a lifelong admiration for Gillespie's work and ''keen mind.'' Former student Michael Grothusen described him as ''an important influence on the direction my life and work took.'' Kansas Public radio host and former student Cordelia Brown recalled, ''He did so much with taking art students on the tour of Kansas to all the interesting spots like the giant stone buffalo and the Garden of Eden.'' More recently, sculptor Darin White observed that Gillespie ''helped many students have a unique view of the 3D and the world.'' Without proof of exemption, be aware that internet sales tax applies to all Internet transactions and local sales tax may apply to local pick-up transactions. We happily provide seamless in-house packing and shipping services on nearly everything we sell. Until further notice, we cannot offer international shipping in-house. Dimensions Measures 93 x 41 inches. Provenance The Estate of Richard Gillespie.