705

Jules Struppeck

(American/Louisiana, 1915-1993)

"Two Women"

terracotta clay
on a specially-made carved wooden plinth.
sculpture h. 30", w. 15-1/2", d. 20-1/4"; base h. 34"

  • Provenance: Note: In 1940 Robert "Robin" Field became the Director of the Newcomb College School of Art, Tulane University. Field sought to distance the school from the former Newcomb Pottery enterprise, instead looking to establish a more diverse and modernist program. Field hired Louisiana artist Jules Struppeck in 1946 to teach in the school's sculpture department. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma and Louisiana State University, Struppeck was proficient in a variety of sculptural materials and methods and was instrumental in establishing the Newcomb Sculpture Foundry in the late 1950's. Struppeck spent 34 years teaching at Newcomb College and retired in 1980 as the head of the sculpture department. A notable group of sculptors that studied under him at Newcomb College include Lynda Benglis, Mignon Faget, and Arthur Kern.

    In 1952, he authored the book The Creation of Sculpture where he expressed his philosophy on sculpture and provided chapters on different sculptural techniques. Struppeck wrote "In relation to space, sculptural ideas are ideas of actuality-that is, they are concepts of the objects that will exist tactually as well as visually in space…. Form, concept, and material can never be completely separated."

    In 1954, Struppeck was invited to exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art's Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Sculpture, Watercolors and Drawings. Throughout his artistic career, he earned commissions including two wood sculptures for the U.S. Marine Hospital gym in uptown New Orleans, a large bronze of "Justice" for the exterior of the Iberia Courthouse, and a wood sculpture of "Cotton Pickers" for the Many post office in 1941 funded by the Treasury Relief Art Project, a New Deal arts program.

    Conceived by Mary Moffett and Elizabeth Bethea, professors at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, the sculpture "The Lady of the Mist" was a collaboration between Duncan Ferguson and Jules Struppeck with funds provided by the Women's Panhellenic Association of Ruston in 1938. Placed in a fountain on the main campus, the intent of the figure with her outstretched arms was to both greet the freshmen to campus and wish the graduates a fond farewell.

    Enrique Alferez, the Mexican-born sculptor was a friend and colleague of Struppeck with both artists working in the art deco style. Struppeck assisted Alferez in casting his sculptures at the Newcomb Foundry. For the "Two Women" sculpture Struppeck worked with terra cotta clay and favored live models. The carved geometric carved base was created to support the sculpture, compliment it stylistically, and bring it to eye level.
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