Zenos Frudakis
Encyclopedia
Zenos Frudakis is a figurative sculptor whose subjects include portraits of living and historical individuals and poetic/philosophical sculpture with a post-modern sensibility
. He lives and works near Philadelphia. His works — often of monumental size — are on display at Brookgreen Gardens, The Lotos Club
of New York City, the Utsukushi ga-hara Open Air Museum in Japan, the National Academy of Design
, and the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa — as well as corporations, institutions, and private collections in the United States and abroad.
, and Gary, Indiana
, where he worked in the steel mills. He began sculpting at a very young age, and in 1972 came to Philadelphia to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
. He studied sculpture with two Prix de Rome
winners: his elder brother, sculptor Evangelos Frudakis, and painter James Hanes. At the University of Pennsylvania
, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Fine Art.
Honor Guard and Freedom, created in 2001 for the GlaxoSmithKline
headquarters in Philadelphia.
. Nominated by Walker Hancock
and Donald DeLue, Frudakis quickly advanced to Fellow, winning the President’s Prize, the Gold Medal, and nearly all the other awards at the Society’s annual juried exhibitions. He was also one of the youngest sculptors to become an Academician at the National Academy of Design
.
In 1990, Frudakis was invited to participate in Japan’s Third Rodin Grand Prize Exhibition, where he won the Hakone Award at Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum. The Museum purchased a cast of Frudakis’s sculpture Reaching.
:
Cultural sensibility
Cultural sensibility refers to how sensibility relates to a person’s moral, emotional or aesthetic ideas or standards. The term should not be confused with the more common term "cultural sensitivity". -References:***...
. He lives and works near Philadelphia. His works — often of monumental size — are on display at Brookgreen Gardens, The Lotos Club
Lotos Club
The Lotos Club is a gentleman's club in New York City. Founded in 1870 by a young group of writers and critics, Mark Twain, an early member, called it the "Ace of Clubs"...
of New York City, the Utsukushi ga-hara Open Air Museum in Japan, the National Academy of Design
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
, and the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa — as well as corporations, institutions, and private collections in the United States and abroad.
Biography
Born in 1951 in San Francisco to Greek musician and poet Vasilis Frudakis and Kassiani Alexis, Frudakis was raised in Wheeling, West VirginiaWheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
, where he worked in the steel mills. He began sculpting at a very young age, and in 1972 came to Philadelphia to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
. He studied sculpture with two Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
winners: his elder brother, sculptor Evangelos Frudakis, and painter James Hanes. At the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Fine Art.
Notable works
In a career spanning over three decades, Frudakis has produced monumental figures such as the United States Air Force MemorialUnited States Air Force Memorial
The United States Air Force Memorial honors the service of the personnel of the United States Air Force and its predecessors. The Memorial is located in Arlington, Virginia, on the grounds of Fort Myer near The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, at the intersection of Columbia Pike and...
Honor Guard and Freedom, created in 2001 for the GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
headquarters in Philadelphia.
Portrait statues and busts
- Frank RizzoFrank RizzoFrancis Lazarro "Frank" Rizzo, Sr. was an American police officer and politician. He served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from January 1972 to January 1980; he was Police Commissioner for four years prior to that.-Police Commissioner:Rizzo joined the Philadelphia Police...
, former mayor of Philadelphia. Bronze, 10 feet (3 m) high. Municipal Services Building Plaza (across from City Hall), Philadelphia, PA. - Ellis ArnallEllis ArnallEllis Gibbs Arnall was an American politician, a progressive Democrat who served as the 69th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1943 to 1947.-Education:...
, governor of Georgia 1943-1947. Bronze, over life size. State House, Atlanta, GA. - Joe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggioJoseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, Bronze, over life size. Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. Hollywood, FL - Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
. Bronze, over life size. The Lotos Club, New York, NY. - Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. Bronze, life size.
Poetic/philosophical
- Paradigm Shift. Bronze, 18 feet (5.5 m) high. GMAC, Fort Washington, PA.
- Dream to Fly. Bronze, 3 figures each 7 feet (2.1 m) high. Cherry Hill, NJ.
Public sculpture
- Workers Memorial. Bronze figure in Cor-Ten steel circle, 8 feet (2.4 m) high. The Rose Garden, Bethlehem, PA.
- ReachingReaching (sculpture)Reaching is a public artwork by artist Zenos Frudakis, located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is a figurative bronze portrait of a nude male and female. Each figure is leaping and reaching, arms outstretched toward the other....
. Bronze, 2 figures each 7 feet (2.1 m) high. Capitol Plaza, Indianapolis, IN.
Sports sculpture
- Payne StewartPayne StewartWilliam Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42....
. Bronze, over life size. Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, NC. - Arnold PalmerArnold PalmerArnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
. Bronze, over life size. Georgia Golf Hall of Fame; Latrobe, PA; Tralee, Ireland.
Small sculpture
- Mr. & Mrs. Hershey. 24 inches high. The Hershey Archives, Hershey, PA.
- Growth. 31 inches high.
Relief sculpture
- Sanford Atwood, former president of Emory University. Bronze, over life size. Emory University, Atlanta, GA.
- Joseph J. Ruvane, former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline. Bronze, over life size. Research Triangle Park, NC.
Animal sculpture
- Elephant and Boy Fountain. Bronze, 12 feet (3.7 m) high, 11 feet (3.4 m) long. Burlington Mall, Burlington, NJ.
- Irish Wolfhound. Bronze, over life size. Brookgreen Gardens, SC.
Paintings
- Sir Paul Girolami, former CEO, Glaxo PLC. Oil on canvas, life size. London, England.
- Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Caneris. Oil on canvas, life size, from life. Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.
Awards
Frudakis was one of the youngest sculptors ever nominated for membership in the prestigious National Sculpture SocietyNational 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...
. Nominated by Walker Hancock
Walker Hancock
Walker Kirtland Hancock was a 20th-century American sculptor and teacher. He created notable monumental sculptures, including the Pennsylvania Railroad World War II Memorial at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and Donald DeLue, Frudakis quickly advanced to Fellow, winning the President’s Prize, the Gold Medal, and nearly all the other awards at the Society’s annual juried exhibitions. He was also one of the youngest sculptors to become an Academician at the National Academy of Design
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
.
In 1990, Frudakis was invited to participate in Japan’s Third Rodin Grand Prize Exhibition, where he won the Hakone Award at Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum. The Museum purchased a cast of Frudakis’s sculpture Reaching.
Tributes
Duane HansonDuane Hanson
Duane Hanson was an American artist based in South Florida but born in Minnesota, a sculptor known for his lifecast realistic works of people, cast in various materials, including polyester resin, fibreglass, Bondo and bronze...
:
Exhibitions
- National Academy of Design, New York, and National Sculpture Society Juried Annual Group Shows 1980s – 2009
- Atwater-Kent Museum, Philadelphia, 2005
- Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, PA, 2004
- Fleisher Museum, Scottsdale, AZ, Masterworks of American Sculpture, 1999
- Hakone Open-Air Museum, Japan, Rodin Grand Prize Exhibition, by invitation, 1990
- Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA, 1988
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Group Shows, Philadelphia, PA, 1983
Further reading
- Appelbaum, David, and Mel Thompson, editors. World Philosophy. Vega, 2002, pp. 250–51.
- Boyne, Walter J., Rosalie Frudakis, Katherine Jaeger, et al. The United States Air Force Memorial Honor Guard, A Scupture by Zenos Frudakis. Techni Press, 2007.
- Dunhoff, Richard, and Philip H. Wagner. Philadelphia, A Photographic Portrait. Twin Lights Publishers, 2004, p. 14.
- Goode, James M. Washington Scupture. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.
- Gordon, Robert, and Tom Burgoyne. Movin' On Up. MidAtlantic Press, 2004, pp. 264–64.