Description:

Mary Frank
New York / England, (b. 1933)
Reaching and Untitled Arrow Figure, 1963
two-sided charcoal on paper
Signed lower right.

Provenance: Stephen Radich Gallery, Luise Ross Gallery, Vanderwoude Tananbaum Gallery. New York, NY exhibition labels verso.

From AskArt: Mary Frank is known for creating stoneware sculptures that have the appearance of terra cotta fragments dug up at an archaeological site. Sometimes a half-finished relief head barely escapes from the clay; sometimes a figure, as in "Untitled" (1975), lies in pieces.

Born in England in 1933, Frank had her first one-woman show at the Poindexter Gallery in New York in 1958, and has shown at least once a year ever since. She has taught at the New School for Social Research and Queens College and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Council of the Arts Grant and a Guggenheim award.

Franks terra cottas transmit complex emotions, often of melancholy and quiet pathos. In "Lovers" (1973-1974), intertwined male and female figures made up of large, broken shards of clay lie in ancient-looking fragments that suggest both the transitory nature of passion, and its endurance through time. Fossil-like imprints of the stems of ferns and leaves are pressed into the clay of the torsos, reinforcing the sense of nature and of life long gone, yet leaving its forms behind.

This emotional quality is combined in Franks work, with an intense interest in the formal qualities of clay sculpture. Broken edges and contours of the forms curl in and out, and alternate between jagged and smooth, positive and negative. The wings on some figures, and the edges of the draperies wave to give them an airy, floating quality. As in all fine clay sculpture, there is the ever-present sense of the artists hand shaping the material and feeling its way around the form.

(Information for the biography above is based on writings from the book, American Women Artists, by Charlotte Streifer Rubinstein.)

  • Dimensions: 18"H x 24"W (image), 26"H x 32"W (frame)
  • Medium: two-sided charcoal on paper

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Professional in house shipping services are available for items. Shipping costs will include packaging, handling, and insurance. Shipping costs are in addition to the auction purchase amount. A low bid purchase price does not mean shipping costs will be any less. The size and weight of a package will impact the cost that the carrier charges. Multiple items will impact the cost of handling. Items that are of high value will require more insurance. The minimum cost for shipping is $20.00. If you are not prepared to pay for our shipping, do not bid. Some items may require a third-party shipper. Please let the office know if you would like to pick up your winning bid or arrange your own shipping.
Successful bidders will receive a final invoice within 3-4 business days after the auction giving you payment and shipping details, if applicable, pertaining to the item(s) you have purchased. After the payment is made, your purchase will be shipped and tracking will be sent by email. It is the buyers responsibility to confirm shipping and billing address provided on invoices.

May 1, 2021 11:00 AM EDT
Indianapolis, IN, US

Ripley Auctions

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $199 $20
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 + $2,500