Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Preview image of work. bronze, Fantasy Bird 9581

1985.58.3

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Fantasy Bird

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Artist

Mary Frank (Mary Lockspeiser Frank) (London, England, 1933 – )

Title

Fantasy Bird

Creation Date

n.d.

Century

20th century

Dimensions

14 in. x 9 1/2 in. x 8 in. (35.56 cm x 24.13 cm x 20.32 cm)

Classification

Sculpture

Creation Place

North America, United States

Medium and Support

bronze

Credit Line

Gift of Walter K. Gutman, Class of 1924

Copyright

This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s Copyright Terms and Conditions.

Accession Number

1985.58.3

In her sculptures, paintings, and ceramics Mary Frank imagines personal mythologies that connect contemporary sensibilities with deep-rooted symbolism. This early example, which merges the shape of a fluttering bird with a human figure, illustrates the formal sophistication and emotional impact of her fantastical creations. Born in London, Frank moved to the United States in 1950 and studied with German emigrés Hans Hoffmann and briefly with Max Beckmann. In his paintings, Beckmann pioneered the use of bird-figures as he grappled with absurdity and dislocation he experienced in World War II. Mary Frank adapted and transformed this vocabulary. A 1963 Art News review commented: “It is her belief as an artist in, and understanding of, a personal system of forms, a private logic, that makes it possible for the viewer to suspend his powers of disbelief and accept this re-establishment of natural appearances.”

Additional Media

side

front or back