Skip to main content

Per Umluaf Museum; Mentoring A Muse: Charles Umlauf & Farrah Fawcett



Mentoring A Muse: Charles Umlauf &

Farrah Fawcett

FEBRUARY 16 - AUGUST 20, 2017

     In an exhibition titled Mentoring a Muse: Charles Umlauf & Farrah Fawcett, the UMLAUF explores a new and extraordinary aspect of an actress heretofore only narrowly known for her broad smile and bombshell looks, Farrah Fawcett. While much is known about Fawcett’s public life — her television and film career, including four Emmy and six Golden Globe nominations — her interest in art remains far more enigmatic. Although she left UT for Hollywood before completing her degree, she maintained her sculptor’s practice for her entire life, keeping an art building on the property of her Hollywood home. Fawcett maintained an ongoing friendship and correspondence with Umlauf for decades, visiting him and his wife Angeline when she was in Austin and attending the award ceremony when Umlauf became Texas Artist of the Year, presented in Houston in 1985, with Fawcett’s then partner Ryan O’Neal.

     Mentoring a Muse explores how the aesthetic influence traveled both directions: Umlauf made a tremendous impact on her style and remained, in Fawcett’s words, her “favorite teacher.” Likewise, she exerted a muse-like influence on his work. He created dozens of sketches and sculptures of Farrah Fawcett, both from life and memory.

     Fawcett collected Umlauf’s work and continued to sculpt for her entire life. The actress sent plaster casts of her own sculptures to Umlauf, who then shipped them to his Italian foundry for casting in bronze. This exhibition brings both artists’ work together, revealing a dialogue of style, technique, and interest. Like Umlauf, Fawcett drew much inspiration from her family, drawing and sculpting portraits of her sister and nephew, and commissioning Umlauf to sculpt a portrait of her son.

     At her death, Fawcett bequeathed her art collection to the Blanton Museum of Art, including 20 Umlauf works, a few Andy Warhols’ and over 100 works of her own. the exhibition has several of these works on loan as well as works from the UMLAUF and City of Austin collection and other private and gallery collections. Also presented in the exhibition are letters written by Fawcett to Umlauf directly from the UMLAUF’s archive.

     This exhibition is organized by UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum curator Katie Robinson Edwards, AND would not have been possible without the generous loan of art work from the Bequest of Farrah Fawcett at the Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin. Special thanks to Annette Carlozzi for laying the groundwork for this endeavor and the Blanton team of Veronica Roberts, Meredith Sutton, Gabriela Truly, and Simone Wicha. The UMLAUF also thanks Crutch Crutchfield, Mary Anne Rickhoff, Greg Walls, the Russell Collection, Arthur Umlauf, and the Umlauf Family Partnership for lending artwork. Information on Farrah Fawcett’s art was graciously provided by Sylvia Dorsey, Keith Edmier, Greg Lott, Karen Spellings, Nels Van Patten, Pat Van Patten, and Greg Walls. Special thanks to Stephanie Busing, Ryan Corrigan, Maryhelen Murray, and David Nichols of Refined by Fire Media. Support for this exhibition was provided in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Cultural Arts division and Texas Commission on the Arts.


oring A Muse
Farrah Fawce

FEBRUARY 16 -


In an exhibition tit

Image Gallery




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sad News. Tim Harrington of Austin, Texas passed away in mid-February 2024 from a heart attack. His Memorial Service is 2/29/2024 2 pm, @ Austin Ridge Bible Church in Westlake.

The Above Photo was taken by Jim Innes during his Podium Eulogy talk for Tim Harrington. To Say the Westlake Austin Ridge Bible Church memorial service was PACKED, would be an understatement. Tim Harrington was a good man, and friend of many. He was relatable, authentic, funny, caring and social.    George Vance..... Just making sure you know that Tim Harrington passed away last weekend. Heart attack.  Tim’s Memorial Service will be: 2/29/24 at 2 PM at Austin Ridge Bible Church at 9300 Bee Cave Rd, Austin, TX 78733 in Westlake. At the Worship Center building. Please spread the word. GVM speaking here, "Tim showed up on my 40th birthday at Pitch N Putt for an afternoon of golf and bullshit. Tim was in good spirits that afternoon after boasting of his mega million dollar commercial fresh sale in SoCo. St. Elmo @ the ol' Hills Cafe.   Tim was a former SOUTHWESTERN door to door salesman and alumnus like me. A fellow bookman. Tim showed up @ my BookPeople booksignin...

Bonnie Fish McGee's Spooky 1st Birthday Party! Oct. 19th, 2024. Good times.

 

Austin, Texas has a DOG PROBLEM.....

  Austin, Texas has a DOG problem (Letter I wrote and sent) Dear Austin City Council Members, Hello and well regards, Yesterday afternoon during a simple bicycle pedal exercise ride, I was physically chased by an unleashed Pitbull dog in ZILKER PARK. Then directly after recovering from almost being mauled by an unleashed pit-bull in Zilker Park, I attempted to buy a Gatorade at a nearby Barton Springs Road Market, but that didn't go well either, as an interior Market commercial customer had a massive mixed breed dog trolling through the diminutive shopping isles. Then this morning, at a Coffee shop on SoCo, there was only 1 entry way in and out, and there was another large, although more docile mixed breed dog. All of this has occurred in less than 24 hours. What's the point? The City of Austin's dog friendliness and citizen enabling of irresponsible dog owners has gotten out of control. Newsflash! Not everybody like dogs, being everywhere all the time. especially within ...