Escalieta 1 by Manuel Neri – Marble – 1985
Manuel Neri (born April 12, 1930) is an American sculptor, painter, and printmaker and a notable member of the “second generation” of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.
Neri was born in Sanger, California, to immigrant parents who had fled Mexico during political unrest following the Mexican Revolution. He began attending college at San Francisco City College in 1950, initially studying to be an electrical engineer. After taking a class in ceramics, he was inspired to become an artist. He continued his education at California College of Arts and Crafts and at California School of Fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute). Neri studied under Richard Diebenkorn and Elmer Bischoff, taking up abstract expressionism under their influence, but later turning toward figurative art along with them.
In the late 1950s, he was a member of the artist-run cooperative gallery, the Six Gallery, along with Joan Brown, Bruce Conner, and Jay DeFeo. In 1959, Neri became an original member of Bruce Conner’s Rat Bastard Protective Association.
Neri taught sculpture and ceramics at California School of Fine Arts from 1959–1965 and was on the faculty of the University of California, Davis from 1965-1999
This is the back, notice how nicely it is juxtaposed to the skyscraper in the distance
Good eye to go behind the statue. They really go well together. I don’t go down to the financial district much so thanks for the restaurant recommendation for the next time I head down there.
You give such an education in art history along with your posts!
I can see why this is called “figurative” art, ’cause I’ve been trying to figure it out for about 5 minutes! Nah, just kidding. Even if it’s not my style, it certainly is interesting and I agree with RedPat about your educational commentary. Thanks!
Thanks for extending my art theory and history. Can you get hired on for a class? San Francisco must be very unusual in it’s quantity of public art. I do not live in Seattle, and white public art has been very important, I do not think there is this quantity.