Large sculpture of woman in chair by Holly Smith,circa 1985.Height 43 inches by length 21 inches by width 18 inches.

Approximately 50 to 60 pounds

To all the art lovers who follow David Killen Gallery, welcome to the wonderful wacky funny world of Holly Smith, American sculptor. We are auctioning four of Holly Smiths early works from the 1980-1985 period just after Holly graduated from Moore College of art in 1977.In one of her first commissions she was asked to create 14 sculptures for the windows of a small department store in Redding Penn. The 14 sculptures were lost for years after the small department store closed down, but were rediscovered in the mid 1990’s and sold to private collectors. One NYC couple purchased four of the sculptures and enjoyed them for 30 years. Now that they are moving they are forced to sell them. David Killen Gallery is proud and excited to sell the four, Lady in a Chair(lot 99), IRS man(lot 104), Blind Woman with Dog (lot 106)and Lady with Handbag(lot 102), all on Jan 16th of the new year 2022.PLEASE SEE UPDATED INFORMATION FROM FROM SCULPTOR RECIEVED TODAY 1/3/22 BELOW

(From Philadephia Sculptors.com)Holly Smith is a sculptor, painter, illustrator and writer. A 1977 graduate of Moore College of Art with a BFA in sculpture, her work has won numerous awards and been exhibited and collected throughout the United States. It is included in the permanent collection of Doylestown Hospital, PA, and the private collection of Johannah Hutchison, Executive Director of the International Sculpture Center. A long time member of Philadelphia Sculptors, she is the group’s secretary and contributing editor of their newsletter.(The following is in Holly Smiths words):Humor is the vehicle I use most often while searching for some version of artistic truth or clarity. My attraction to Surrealism is matched by a gleeful delight in the absurd wherever it can be found. But underlying the initial jocularity I attempt to straddle the divide between comedy and tragedy; seesawing between the two is where I find the most meaning.I’ve found the metaphorical use of animal imagery a good fit to represent an emotion, an experience, or a daily irritation. For example, “Haus BauWau” is the embodiment of the monstrous, snarling-dog year I spent in the jaws of real estate misery. I also like to create some mischief when titling my pieces; hopefully my dig at the Bauhaus comes across as well.

Updated information from Holly Smith, the sculptor as of 1/3/22:Thank you for contacting me..... These pieces were not a commission but originally bought by an Allentown resident through the Rodger LaPelle Galleries, Philadelphia, PA, in the 1980's, and I was told they were exhibited in an Allentown hotel. In 2008 they were discovered in a storage shed by George Viener (previous owner of the Outsider Folk Art Gallery, at the Goggleworks Art Center, Reading PA) when he purchased and restored them. Unfortunately, I neglected to ask Rodger LaPelle for a list of the people who have purchased my work over the years and any of my paperwork was lost. The Rodger LaPelle gallery closed in 2019 and he is deceased.(End)

Davids notes: The Holly Smith statues follow a tradition of Post War artists in American that liked to poke fun at the American cliches that filled up the museums, courtrooms and parks by creating life sized figures that were both humorous and familiar. Probably the most famous is Red Grooms, whose exhibition Ruckus Manhattan at the Leo Castelli gallery was full of funny NYC caricatures who ride the subways, bump into you at bus stops and glare at you from a park bench.Another memorable sculpture was Marisol’s Woman and Dog at the Whitney Museum, which was a staple of the MoMa permanent Collection.When you go as far back as the all white sculptures of George Segal, you are really losing the humour that Holly Smith and others of her generation injected into their works.Holly Smiths work are no less funny, less enjoyable or less poignant to see and experience, and the enjoyment of living with one of them cannot be overstated.This is a great opportunity to own one of four great American sculptures by a great American sculptor at a bargain price.

Good condition overall