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Allan Houser (Chiricahua Apache, 1914–1994),
Peaceful Serenity
, 1992/fabricated 1998
bronze, 76 x 40 ½ x 23 ½ in.; 193.04 x 102.87 x 59.69 cm
Gift of Eve and Fred Simon, 2000.22
Houser, the most important individual in the development of contemporary American Indian sculpture, was equally accomplished whether working with stone or bronze. His subjects were always Native American, but his themes, like the maternal warmth of Peaceful Serenity, are often universal. Houser’s sculptures range from completely realist to highly abstract, but his instantly identifiable signature style is a sinuous, elegant semi-abstraction of form, typified in Peaceful Serenity.
This sculpture is fabricated, not cast. Both techniques require a model to be made first. Casting involves pouring molten bronze into a form. Fabricated works are constructed from a pattern of pieces cut from thin sheets of bronze and then welded together.
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