Lost, sold, gifted art of Jim Marzuki

Wood Abstract. Cement base. CLICK ON PHOTO FOR SLIDE SHOW.

Welded steel. Figures in a wheel.

My dad would occasionally snap photos (mostly slides) of his work....sometimes he wrote notes on the slide. I have never found any photos of artwork that is still here, so I am guessing he took pix before he sold of gifted a piece or put it in a gallery for sale.

He made notations on some, but not all of them, which tells me he "intended" to keep track of the pieces he sold, and who he sold them to, but like so many of us, did not always follow through.

"Family" 1963 Glazed Terra Cotta. Sold to Mrs. C. Winston, Flossmoor

Mounted Warrior terra cotta. 1961

But these are the pieces that are out there...pieces YOU may have -- and if you do, I would like to hear from you.  (I'm talking to you, Mrs. C. Winston formerly of Flossmoor, Illinois, or the children of other collectors like you).

Because these are transferred from old kodachrome slides, the image quality is not so great. I have put what was written on the slides in the caption, or, if no notation, what i know about the piece.  I just recently (12/13/11) found two more boxes of slides. Some are better photos of the ones shown here, others are some really fantastic metal sculptures, "New City" woodblocks, and a few paintings. I'll be posting more after I get the slides transferred.


 

Whimsical birds. These are brass, I believe, with fused glass marbles as accents.  The taller one (dad cut off the head, not me,)  appears to be a rooster. The smaller is an imaginary or exotic bird. These were likely made as gifts.  Just found another slide. (with head). they are identified only as "Sculpture abstract," thanks, dad.

This one was sold to my family pediatrician, Dr. Vrla, who was a wonderful and very gentle doctor with a heavy accent and hairy hands, but I loved him and saw him all the way through high school at the little medical center in Olympia Fields just off US Route 30.

"Group" 1962 Terra Cotta Glazed. Sold to Dr. V. Vrla

New City series

Here is the front and back of a piece...It's not labeled, but it's from the "New City" series (I have a similar, billboard shaped one where the figures are executed in clay),  so I'm calling this one "New City 8-2" Heavily gessoed/painted wood, with small metal figures, on a natural wood base.

This one, (above) is also from the "New City" series, but is done in cast aluminum on  natural wood base.

Triangle vehicle (left) was bought by Helen Johnson of Park Forest at the Park Forest Art Center gallery in the 1970s; She was nice enough to send me a picture. It's similar to a "bird vehicle" that was gifted to John and Judy Mendelson of Park Forest (not shown).

"Small Monument to Victory"

Here's one that had a title written,
but no seller info:
"Small Monument to Victory,"
1963. Welded steel.
This looks to be a larger piece, probably 14-20".














Below, one of my dad's smaller pieces:
"Motherhood." Welded and braided steel,
1963, sold to Doctors Abrams and Sherman.  An almost identical one was sold to Mr. E. Franks.

"Motherhood"

As they used to sing on the "Gilligan's Island" opener (at least in the first season) "...And The Rest:"

Warrior figures on horseback, ceramic. Found another slide:
"Mounted Warriors." (I was close). 1961. Terra cotta. Sam
Hageman, Park Forest, owner

Ceramic warrior. Just found another slide it was called "Winged Warrior." Terra cotta. Owned by Don Madgwick, Park Forest. I remember him.

Golden Heron creature. Actually, this is called "Decoy for Magic Birds,: 1963, Bronze on steel. Owned by "Hall."

Dad sometimes combined metal finishes...black steel with a golden feature, which i have just found out (from the slides) is bronze on steel. A number of his early 1960s figures show this mix.

I found another slide of this hobby horse one...It's actually called "Broken rocking horse" Not sure if that's a title or if the piece was broken. It is a black steel hobby horse with a golden child sitting atop it with a flag.









This piece  (with the head cut off) is titled "Warrior" (Destroyed) Slide is dated 1960. Pretty sure that means dad took it apart or it got destroyed some other way. Pretty hard to screw up welded metal, as i know from experience. i constantly knock these things over and break pieces off. thankfully, i have a welder in chicago heights who puts them back together.

My dad shot these "Icarus" sculptures against the sky, with tv antenna in the background. I still have the central figure (woman with bird) but the Icarus sculptures were sold/gifted.

Love this one (right). Have no idea what the title is, but I call it "The Vivisectionist" (note the exposed viscera). 1966.
Would love to have this one back...

Below, three views  of a piece from my dad's series on demonstrators ..(though as these two are face to face, it could be a dialogue). Someone kindly sent me many different angles on this piece -- and i can't remember who. dammit!

The tumbler, i've found out is part of the Icarus series. this his him after the wings began to burn.

"Icarus" brazed steel, owned by Mrs. Bruce Carlson, 

Park Forest

Will take a while to get the rest of these slides sent out and scanned

Here are some of the people they were sold to:
(they would have all lived in the south suburbs of chicago in the 1960s.)

mr. e. franks
don madgwick
mrs. bruce carlson, park forest
r.j. claussen, park forest
sam hageman, park forest
e. v. (or c.v. or ev ) hansen, olympia fields
william oberholtzer, 413 stanton, park forest, later of homewood-flossmoor, passed on in 2008

"Dancer Impersonating a Sailing Vessel" 1960-61

There are a lot better photos of these in this latest batch of slides. will re-post sometimes after the new year.

"Family" 1963. Terra cotta glazed.