Charles Umlauf
Encyclopedia
Charles Umlauf was an American sculptor and teacher who was born is South Haven
, Michigan
.
In 1929 he began three years of study with Albin Polasek
at the Art Institute of Chicago
. He subsequently spent one year as an assistant to Lorado Taft
at his Midway Studio before returning to the AIC where he remained until 1937. Those years saw a growth in Umlauf's interest in the more abstract
sculptures being produced in Europe, and as a consequence, his own pieces became increasingly abstracted.
The Great Depression
years found Umlauf employed by the WPA
Federal Art Project
, creating art for a Chicago school as well as several Federal projects.
In 1941 Umlauf accepted a position at the University of Texas
school of art in Austin
, Texas
and taught there for 40 years. Artists teaching at UT with Umlauf included Kelly Fearing and Seymour Fogel
. In 1981, Umlauf retired as a professor emeritus. In 1985 he donated his home, studio and many works of art to the city of Austin, and the location was subsequently turned into the Umlauf Sculpture Garden
.
South Haven, Michigan
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
In 1929 he began three years of study with Albin Polasek
Albin Polasek
Albin Polasek was a Czech-American sculptor and educator. He created more than four hundred works during his career, two hundred of which are now displayed in the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park, Florida.-Career:Born as Albín Polášek in Frenštát, Moravia , Polasek...
at the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
. He subsequently spent one year as an assistant to Lorado Taft
Lorado Taft
Lorado Zadoc Taft was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Taft was born in Elmwood, Illinois in 1860 and died in his home studio in Chicago in 1936.-Early years and education:...
at his Midway Studio before returning to the AIC where he remained until 1937. Those years saw a growth in Umlauf's interest in the more abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
sculptures being produced in Europe, and as a consequence, his own pieces became increasingly abstracted.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
years found Umlauf employed by the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
Federal Art Project
Federal Art Project
The Federal Art Project was the visual arts arm of the Great Depression-era New Deal Works Progress Administration Federal One program in the United States. It operated from August 29, 1935, until June 30, 1943. Reputed to have created more than 200,000 separate works, FAP artists created...
, creating art for a Chicago school as well as several Federal projects.
In 1941 Umlauf accepted a position at the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
school of art in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and taught there for 40 years. Artists teaching at UT with Umlauf included Kelly Fearing and Seymour Fogel
Seymour Fogel
Seymour Fogel was an American artist whose artistic output included social realist art early in the century, abstract art and expressionist art at mid-century, and transcendental art late in the century...
. In 1981, Umlauf retired as a professor emeritus. In 1985 he donated his home, studio and many works of art to the city of Austin, and the location was subsequently turned into the Umlauf Sculpture Garden
Umlauf Sculpture Garden
The Umlauf Sculpture Garden is a museum and outdoor sculpture garden centered around the artistic works of American sculptor Charles Umlauf. Located at 605 Robert E. Lee Road in the Zilker neighborhood of Austin, Texas, the garden is adjacent to Austin's Zilker Park.In 1985, Charles and Angeline...
.
WPA sculptures
- Spirit of Communication, Post Office, Morton Illinois, 1939
- Protection, and Mosaic Pool, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, 1940
- Paulding Industries, Post Office, Paulding, Illinois, 1940
- Boy With Sea Forms, Lane Technical High School, Chicago Illinois, 1941