Ruth Duckworth's Organic Creations & Philosophy

Everyday art appraisers examine a variety of objects from a variety of time periods and genres. From an appraiser's unbiased point of view, it is more important to understand a particular genre and not whether or not it fits your particular taste. Although I greatly enjoy modernist pieces, I understand that not everyone is of a similar mindset. Therefore, I would like to visually examine a notable piece of modernist sculpture, discuss the possible creative philosophies of the artist who made it, and explain why I appreciate it.

The above sculpture, currently at MIR Appraisal Services, Inc., was created by Ruth Duckworth. She was born in Hamburg Germany in 1919, but fled Nazi Germany for England at the age of 17. Duckworth began her formal art training at the Liverpool School of Art, then studied at the Hammersmith School of Art, and finally went to the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. Eventually Duckworth would move to Chicago to teach at the University of Chicago, which she did until 1977. She is known to still live in the Chicago and continues to sculpt.

Beyond the facts of Duckworth’s life, what I find interesting about her work is that she produces pieces that are entirely unique to both the art world and to the broader genre of everyday objects. What I mean by this is that her work is removed from common visual forms and preconceived notions of what a ceramic, bronze, or clay object is suppose to look like. Instead Duckworth’s sculptures only attempt to be just what they are, nothing more. In her work, she does not attempt to depict people, animals or bowls; they simply are what they are, art objects. Furthermore, what makes Duckworth’s sculptures interesting is that they are unique extensions of the artist herself. Meaning that although Duckworth has gone through many creative phases processes, in which she has used varied materials, the underlying tie that binds her creativity, appears to be the organic creation of her pieces. In the artists own words “I don’t want to think. I want it to happen by itself, to flow up.” She is creating works that for the first time exist in the world through her intuitive feel for the materials she uses.

The Duckworth sculpture, currently at MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. is an example of the organic creative methods that the artist uses. This ceramic stone ware and mixed media work consists of two long and rounded pieces in the center that converge at one side, but remain open at the other end. Each extremity emerging from the central torso has been extended gracefully by the artist, so that there is a seamless flow throughout the work's entirety. This particular sculpture is a fine example and testament to Ruth Duckworth's creative philosophy with its unique appearance and organically sculpted limbs.

For more information or acquisition inquiries on this newly restored Ruth Duckworth sculpture, please contact MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. in Chicago at (312) 814-8510 or email us at mirappraisal@aol.com.

-MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.

Resources Consulted & Further Reading:

Hales, Linda.”Ruth Duckworth: Modernist Sculptor.”Washington Post (Sept. 4, 2006): C01, http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/exhibits/ruth-duckworth-modernist-sculptor,1127401.html


Stair, Julian.“Duckworth’s volumes and planes: a traveling retrospective examines the 60-year career of sculptor Ruth Duckworth, whose reductive vessels and blocky figures reflect the coolness of international modernism.”Art in America (Dec., 2005), http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1248/is_11_93/ai_n15979877

Lollapalooza 2008: Art Behind the Music

Lollapalooza may be long over, but the music still lives on and so does the art. After all, music and art make a perfect couple. Just looking around our office at artwork left for research, I can see pieces by artists that have at some point created album covers for popular bands throughout the 20th and 21st century. For example, Mid-20th century American pop artist, Andy Warhol created iconic images, such as “Banana” for the Velvet Underground & Nico album in 1967, and British pop artist, Sir Peter Thomas Blake did the same for The Beatles’ album, “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band,” on the other side of the Atlantic in 1966-67. 20th century American outsider/folk artist, Rev. Howard Finster co-designed R.E.M.’s album, “Reckoning,” with the lead singer, Michael Stipe in 1984, in addition to designing the cover for the Talking Heads’ album, “Little Fingers,” in 1985. Czech art photographer Jan Saudek designed Soul Asylum’s double-platinum album, “Grave Dancer’s Union,” in 1993. In comparison to paintings and sculptures from genres past, most of the cover art on rock albums are derived from contemporary art prints which tend to be easier on a collector’s pocketbook. (Check out art prints at MIR's online gallery: http:www.chicagoartappraisers.com)

Here are a few of the cover artists for several of the headlining acts at Lollapalooza 2008:

Radiohead was the solo headliner on Friday night at Lollapalooza. Over the past 15 year or so, they have had produced seven full length albums with distinguished album covers. Stanley Donwood, a British artist Thom Yorke met at the University of Exeter in the UK and has designed every Radiohead album cover art piece in collaboration with Yorke aside from “Pablo Honey,” Radiohead’s debut album. His commercial works consist primarily of limited edition colored screenprints with whimsically dark subject matter, many of which include pointy toothed bears. On the retail market, his work is sold in the $300.00-$400.00 (USD) range depending on size, subject matter and how extensive of a design technique he used.



Rage Against the Machine, headlined on Saturday night, drawing an immense crowd. Having produced a fistful of albums since their self-titled debut album in 1992, the cover art of their debut album illustrates one of the most powerful images throughout history taken by Associated Press journalist and photographer, Malcolm Browne, depicting Thich Quang Duc, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, burning himself to death in Saigon in 1963. He was protesting President Ngo Dinh Diem's administration for oppressing the Buddhist religion. The confrontational photograph is well paired with the music of Rage Against the Machine, expressing strong activist ideals with their intense lyrics and aggressive sound. Photographer, Malcolm Browne was awarded the World Press Photo of the Year in 1963 in addition to a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1964. In 2006, a print of the photograph with an inscription by Browne sold at auction for $6,500.oo (USD) in New York City.

Nine Inch Nails participated in the first Lollapalooza tour in 1991 and returned this year as a closing headliner on Sunday night. Founding member Trent Reznor hired American graphic artist and photographer in 1999, Rob Sheridan at the ripe age of 19 initially to maintain the band’s website but eventually he became their art director creating album cover designs as well as contributing to additional multi-media projects. Sheridan has also worked with fellow Lollapooza act, Saul Williams who played on the same day as Nine Inch Nails. Sheridan sells limited edition art prints on archival paper at etsy.com in the $60.00-$80.00 (USD) price range.

The affordability of the artwork listed above make them great items for young collectors. So the next time you pull an album off your shelf or download a few songs from iTunes, check out the band's cover art, it might just be the next big thing on the market.

-Anne Zakaras
MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.