David Adickes
David Pryor Adickes (/ˈædɪks/ AD-iks;[1] born January 1927, Huntsville, Texas) is a modernist sculptor and painter.[2] His most famous work is the 67-foot tall A Tribute to Courage statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville, Texas.[3]
David Pryor Adickes | |
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![]() David Adickes at the LBJ Presidential Library in 2015 | |
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Known for | Sculpture |
Notable work | A Tribute to Courage |
Life and career
Adickes was born in Huntsville, Texas in January 1927.[4]
In 1949, Adickes travelled to France to study under Fernand Léger. After two years, he returned to Texas and began presenting his work.[5] 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.[6][5]
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.[7] In 1986, he created Cornet as a stage prop for the New Orleans World Fair.[8] 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.[9] In 2006, he erected 60-foot statue of Stephen F. Austin in Brazoria County, Texas.[10] In 2012, he turned his old high school in Huntsville into the Adickes Art Foundation Museum.[11]
Gallery of selected works
- A Tribute to Courage (1994)
Museum Collections
References
- "ArtBeat Nation, Season 3 Episode 18". YouTube. February 17, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- Edwards, Katie Robinson (2014). Midcentury Modern Art in Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 184. ISBN 9780292756595. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- 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.
- David Adickes Description reavesart.com Retrieved 25 July 2018
- "One-Man Show Opens at Laguna Gloria Sunday". Austin American-Statesman. May 19, 1957. p. 9. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- "TEXAS ARTIST: DAVID ADICKES". Vogt Auction. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- Little, Carol Morris (1996). A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 247. ISBN 9780292760363. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- Little, p. 229.
- Billock, Jennifer. "How 43 Giant, Crumbling Presidential Heads Ended Up in a Virginia Field". Smithsonian. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
- 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.
- Hlavaty, Craig (June 19, 2015). "Documentary on Houston sculptor David Adickes in the works". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 12, 2018.