Swan and Ugly Duckling, Armature for Ugly Duckling, [Wire and Wood]

Swan and Ugly Duckling, Armature for Ugly Duckling, [Wire and Wood]

Animal sculpture--20th century

Ugly Duckling, armature, 1960
Metal and wood

These armatures and maquettes illustrate the common working practices of traditional figurative sculptors like Fredericks. He fashioned the armatures from flexible wire and sheet metal to support the clay he would then model over those forms. The maquettes are small studies for larger works. He modeled the two pterodactyl maquette directly in wet plaster rather than using clay. Typically, the next step would be to create larger sketches, studies, scale and/or full size models in clay, then to make molds to cast the models in plaster. Finally he would use those plaster models as patterns for stone carving or to make molds for casts in bronze or aluminum.

Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998

1960

Use of this image requires permission from the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum

Armature

University Center (Mich.)

14.75" x 11.5" x 8"

Metal
Plaster
Wood

1994.070

Main Exhibit Gallery

05/26/1994 gifted to MFSM