Douglas Tilden
Encyclopedia
Douglas Tilden was a world-famous sculptor
. Tilden was deaf and attended the California School for the Deaf
in Berkeley, California
(now in Fremont, California
). Tilden became deaf at the age of four after a severe bout of scarlet fever. After graduating from the CA School for the Deaf, he went on to attend UC Berkeley, but then left to study art in Paris. Once in Paris, Tilden studied under Paul Chopin, another deaf sculptor. He made many statues that sit in San Francisco, Berkeley, and the San Francisco Bay Area
.
He has many artworks to his credits:
On June 6, 1896 Tilden was married to Elizabeth "Bessie" Cole, a former studnet of his, also deaf. Although the union produced two children, an son Lee and a daughter Gladys, it was not to prove to be a happy one. Over the years Mrs. Tilden was subject to "melancholia spells" which, among things, placed a large amount of pressure on the relationship. They separated and Mrs. Tilden, who for years had managed their properties, rented out his studio to a theater group, forcing Tilden to do his sculpting in a shed. As they grew farther apart Tilden's lawyer wrote: "Furhtermore, the wife (Bessie) has knowledge of personal indescressions in the personal conduct of Mr. Tilden which would deprive him of any capacity to stand in court, as we say, "with clean hands." Mr. Tilden claims that Mrs. Tilden has been indescrete. " The marriage ended in a divorce in 1926.
Many detect a certain homoeroticism
in his works because they feature young athletic men who are often unclothed. In the Football Players, many people have noted that the scene of two young football
players, one is injured and resting on the shoulder of another, and the other is tenderly bandaging the wounds, shows the intimate male bonding in sports as of interdependence between the players. The gay and lesbian community
has adopted the statue as representing the best ideal of the visible queer
community on campus.
He was a member of the National Sculpture Society
.
Tilden is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California
.
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
. Tilden was deaf and attended the California School for the Deaf
California School for the Deaf, Fremont
The California School for the Deaf, Fremont is a school for deaf children in Fremont, California. The school educates deaf children from all over Northern California...
in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
(now in Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
). Tilden became deaf at the age of four after a severe bout of scarlet fever. After graduating from the CA School for the Deaf, he went on to attend UC Berkeley, but then left to study art in Paris. Once in Paris, Tilden studied under Paul Chopin, another deaf sculptor. He made many statues that sit in San Francisco, Berkeley, and the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
He has many artworks to his credits:
- Football Players, which stands as one of the first permanent artwork on the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
campus. - Bear Hunt, a statue of a bear protecting her cub and wrestling with two Native AmericansNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, and is featured in the California School for the Deaf in Fremont. - Mechanics Monument, which may be seen in San Francisco. It served as an inspiration for the city to rebuild itself.
- Admission Day, is situated at Market, Post and Montgomery Streets in San Francisco.
On June 6, 1896 Tilden was married to Elizabeth "Bessie" Cole, a former studnet of his, also deaf. Although the union produced two children, an son Lee and a daughter Gladys, it was not to prove to be a happy one. Over the years Mrs. Tilden was subject to "melancholia spells" which, among things, placed a large amount of pressure on the relationship. They separated and Mrs. Tilden, who for years had managed their properties, rented out his studio to a theater group, forcing Tilden to do his sculpting in a shed. As they grew farther apart Tilden's lawyer wrote: "Furhtermore, the wife (Bessie) has knowledge of personal indescressions in the personal conduct of Mr. Tilden which would deprive him of any capacity to stand in court, as we say, "with clean hands." Mr. Tilden claims that Mrs. Tilden has been indescrete. " The marriage ended in a divorce in 1926.
Many detect a certain homoeroticism
Homoeroticism
Homoeroticism refers to the erotic attraction between members of the same sex, either male–male or female–female , most especially as it is depicted or manifested in the visual arts and literature. It can also be found in performative forms; from theatre to the theatricality of uniformed movements...
in his works because they feature young athletic men who are often unclothed. In the Football Players, many people have noted that the scene of two young football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
players, one is injured and resting on the shoulder of another, and the other is tenderly bandaging the wounds, shows the intimate male bonding in sports as of interdependence between the players. The gay and lesbian community
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
has adopted the statue as representing the best ideal of the visible queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
community on campus.
He was a member of the National Sculpture Society
National Sculpture Society
Founded in 1893, the National Sculpture Society was the first organization of professional sculptors formed in the United States. The purpose of the organization was to promote the welfare of American sculptors, although its founding members included several renowned architects. The founding...
.
Tilden is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
External links
- Gay Bears: Douglas Tilden
- Guide to the Douglas Tilden Papers at The Bancroft Library
- Bear Hunt Statue
- THE MECHANICS MONUMENT by Sculptor Douglas Tilden - SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA at www.sandowmuseum.com
- Guidepost