Duane Hanson: Proving That Society Reflects Art, Just As Art Reflects Society
Duane Hanson, super-r
ealist sculptor, has for years mystified America with his startling, lifelike images. Hanson, a nati
ve of Alexandria, Minnesota, was born January 17, 1925. At a young age he fastened onto art through
crayons, scissors and the single art book his local library held. After going through four differen
t art schools, two marriages and several teaching jobs, Hanson decided he wanted to move to New York
and try to make a name for himself. Hanson has not always known the success that now supports himse
lf, his wife and two children. It was not until 1969 that Hanson held his first one-man show in New
York City. It was there that Hanson displayed his human-clone sculptures and was told by dealer Ivan
Karp that he would be "famous but not rich." Hanson sold his first sculpture there for $1,200. Toda
y his pieces sell for more than $35,000 and are exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the wo
rld. It was not mere luck that brought Hanson to the fame he knows today. Throughout his career, Han
son switched themes several times in his sculpture to constantly provoke his audiences and provide c
ommentary on social issues. In general, there have been three major phases in his career. The purpos
e of this paper is to discuss these themes through their change in style and emphasis, the statement
s they make about society, and the meaning they communicate. In 1967, prompted by the influence of s
culptor George Segal and the controversial abortion issue, Duane Hanson made his first polyester res
in and fiberglass sculpture titled Abortion. Abortion depicts the body of an adolescent female lyin
g on an operating table, having died from an illegal abortion attempt. This piece was Hanson's way o
f communicating to his viewers that he felt abortion should be legalized to prevent the deaths of yo
ung girls who resorted to illegal abortions. The piece was his first in what would become a phase o
f works depicting social injustices as a means to bring about change. Abortion caused an uproar amon
g many critics, museums and the public. Still others came to his defense and the overall publicity w
as enough to give Hanson the jump-start he needed to begin his career as a super-realist sculptor. S
culptures such as Bowery Derelicts (1969) display homeless persons, drunken and asleep in an alley,
among the trash. Another piece from this era, War (1967) is of four dying Vietnam soldiers. Pieces s
uch as these poked sensitive spots on social issues pertaining to the increase in homelessness, Amer
ica's role in the Vietnamese War, welfare, street gangs and rioting. Many of Hanson's pieces during
this period of 1967 to 1969 were rejected by museums and harshly criticized by art critics, but the
y as well gave him the consistent media attention that spawned his career. Near the year's end of 19
69, Hanson began to realize that his violent and shocking material was turning off his once intently
-interested audiences, causing his funds to run low. From this point Hanson moved into a phase cons
isting of sculptures of middle-class Americans. This phase in Hanson's work, which lasted from 1969
to 1971, was one that glorified the unattractive, downtrodden and tasteless people in society. In t
his stage Hanson began sculpting in a more refined and smooth style, creating figures even more real
istic than the rough, jagged surfaces of his protest sculptures. Early pieces in this phase such as
Baton Twirler (1970) captured the subject in mid-action, but Hanson later shied from sculptures sho
wing movement. Hanson wanted his work at this time to capture the image of the average American. Scu
lptures such as Housewife (1970) and Sun Bather (1971) depict common people doing ordinary, everyday
things. They are in direct contrast to the perfect physique of Greek sculptures, commonly depicting
the overweight, elderly and blue-collared persons in society. Once again Hanson was criticized for
his exaltation of the repulsive side of America. Pieces like Hard Hat (1970), showed his emphasis w
as changing from the satirical beauty of the ugly to the feeling exemplified and felt through the co
mmon man. While in his third and final stage, Hanson merely displayed persons as they are, giving no
message or meaning, but instead forcing the viewer to interact and inspect the piece. Hanson wanted
for his audiences to think for themselves what statement was being made by these pieces. Emphasis i
s placed upon the posture, physical condition and facial expressions of each subject. This idea is
best shown in the sculpture Seated Artist (1971). The viewer cannot help but to be drawn into the pi
ece, noticing the rumpled and stained clothing, exasperated expression, and intent concentration dis
played by the subject. Other pieces such as Dishwasher (1972) and Janitor (1973) cause the viewer to
contemplate the sorry state of the subject, thus relating to the unrewarding life shown in the deje
cted posture of the pieces. In general, Hanson's work during this period was no longer making a dir
ect statement about society, but was rather forcing the viewer to provide his own statement evoked f
rom the raw emotion felt when viewing the expressive sculptures themselves. From the social-politica
l statements of 1967-1969, from the satires on the foibles of American life from 1970-1972, to the i
llusionism that began in 1971, Hanson's sculptures have affected society. Whether it has been throu
gh the need to take political action, compassion for the unsightly, or being able to relate to the e
motion thus emanated, Hanson's work has changed our minds about how we view others. Some critics hav
e tried to write Duane Hanson off as another wax museum sculptor, but the difference between a Hanso
n exhibit and a wax museum is obvious. Hanson figures look alive and are convincing in their stateme
nt and emotion. The sculptures of Hanson are not merely for looking at, but make a social comment.
Duane Hanson has fulfilled the goal of twentieth century art--to not only produce art which is visua
lly pleasing, but which influences our society as well.
References Martin H. Bush, Sculptures By Du
ane Hanson (Wichita: Wichita State University, 1985) 25. Ellen Edwards, "Duane Hanson's Blue Collare
d Society," ARTnews 4 (1978): 58. Robert Hobbs, Duane Hanson: The New Objectivity (Tallahassee: Flor
ida State University, 1991) 6.
duane hanson proving that society reflects just reflects society dua
ne hanson super realist sculptor years mystified america with startling lifelike images hanson nativ
e alexandria minnesota born january young fastened onto through crayons scissors single book local l
ibrary held after going through four different schools marriages several teaching jobs decided wante
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