David von Schlegell
David Von Schlegell (May 25, 1920 – October 5, 1992) was an American abstract artist, sculptor and educator. Early life and education. David von Schlegell was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1920, the son of American impressionist artist William von Schlegell and painter Elizabeth "Bae" Anderson. At the University of Michigan in the early 1940s, his concentration was on naval and aviation engineering. During WWII, he served in the United States Army Air Forces from 1943 to 1944, becoming a first lieutenant. On a mission over the Mediterranean, he was shot down and while wounded, flew his  B17 with his crew to safety.For his bravery he was awarded a Purple Heart. After the war, he joined the Art Students League of New York where his father taught, and continued to study painting with him in the artist's community of Ogunquit, Maine. Career. He showed his paintings regionally in the 1950s. In the early 1960s David von Schlegell built his own home and studio in Cape Neddick, Maine. During that time, he turned to making sculpture, soon establishing himself as an eminent sculptor showing in Boston. He moved from wood to large scale works of polished  steel and aluminum developing  streamlined abstract forms and planes, often held in place by rigging wire, drawing from Constructivism and his lifelong interest in naval and airplane design. He had his first one-man show of sculpture in New York City at the Royal Marks Gallery in 1965. He relocated to New York city the following year. In 1966, his work was presented in Kynaston McShine’s survey of 1960’s sculpture, "Primary Structures" at the Jewish Museum, an exhibition that helped establish Minimalism. This was followed by the Whitney Biennial, where his "Radio Controlled Sculpture" was exhibited. He showed  with Reese Palley Gallery in New York, and then with the "Park Place Group" of sculptors including Mark di Suvero, Ronald Bladen, and Robert Grosvenor(link) in 1968. His work was included in the Carnegie International and in other large scale exhibitions. von Schlegell began to design and build his first large-scale outdoor sculpture for the Storm King Art Center in 1969–1970. Other large scale public sculpture followed: "Untitled Landscape" 1972 in I. M. Pei 's India Wharf Project in Boston. In 1971 David von Schlegell was appointed head of the Yale School of Art, Sculpture Department which he ran  for two decades. His students of note include Don Gummer, Roni Horn, Jessica Stockholder, Ann Hamilton, Matthew Barney, Sean Landers, and Katsuhisa Sakai. He joined the roster of New York's Pace Gallery in the 1970s, showing hand made wood sculpture in New York through the 70s and 80s. In the early 90s, facing cancer, he returned to painting, creating a final series of monochromes. He died on October 5, 1992 in New Haven, Connecticut at the age of 72. In 2012 the David von Schlegell retrospective at the China Art Objects Gallery in Los Angeles, included "Five Birds" from  1988. The retrospective was curated by Mark von Schlegell, R.H.Quaytman, and Susan Howe. Personal life. In 1953 David married Mary W. Keep in Ogunquit, Maine. They had four children, Lisa, Julia, Rosemary, and Anthony. In 1966, David von Schlegell and Mary Keep separated and he moved to New York City. In 1967, he and poet Susan Howe had a child, writer Mark von Schlegell. His step-daughter is R H Quaytman. Susan Howe and David von Schlegell married in 1986. Art. Sculptures. Inspired by his wartime experience as an aircraft engineer, he worked mostly with aluminum, steel, and wood. His  indoor work was featured at many important exhibitions of the 1960s, and by the 70s he was a prominent public sculptor. His large scale works can be found in cities across America, including "Untitled (L's)" on IUPUI's campus. Painting and drawings. In addition to sculpting, Von Schlegell also made paintings and drawings. After dedicating his "Untitled (L's)", he also had an exhibition in IUPUI's Lecture Hall and at the Herron School of Art displaying his photographs and drawings from the project. See also. A David von Schlegell Timeline