Stuart Williamson

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Stuart Williamson sculpting Walt Whitman Stuart Williamson sculpting Walt Whitman.jpg
Stuart Williamson sculpting Walt Whitman

Stuart Williamson (born 1948, England) is a sculptor, teacher of sculpture and poet from North East England. He is a Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, [1] a Member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors (UK), a Member of the National Sculpture Society (USA), and a Founding Member of the Portrait Sculptures Society of America. He is also a Member of the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan and was featured in their American Masters show in 2015. [2]

Contents

Sculptures of contemporary figures

Williamson was formerly senior sculptor for Madam Tussauds at their London studio [3] [4] [5] and there and abroad conducted sittings for sculpture with many notable contemporary persons and celebrities, including Sophie, Countess of Wessex, [6] Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, [7] Sting, Little Richard, Eric Clapton, [8] Bette Midler, Tony Bennett, Shirley MacLaine, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Pavarotti, [9] [10] Australian singer Kylie Minogue, [11] [12] and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. [13]

Shirley MacLaine wax sculpture by Stuart Williamson Shirley MacLaine wax sculpture by Stuart Williamson.jpg
Shirley MacLaine wax sculpture by Stuart Williamson

Sculptures of historical figures

Lincoln Statue at Lincoln Summer Home, Washington, D.C LCCN2010630087 Lincoln Statue at Lincoln Summer Home, Washington, D.C LCCN2010630087.tif
Lincoln Statue at Lincoln Summer Home, Washington, D.C LCCN2010630087

The artist has sculpted, or collaborated on the sculpting, of numerous historical figures both in wax and bronze. He sculpted three portraits of George Washington at three stages of Washington's life for Mount Vernon, [14] Abraham Lincoln for both the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center and the President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home, [15] [16] and Simon Bolivar for a private collection. [17] He led the team and established the sculptural style for the sculpting of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and five other signers for the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, [18] sculpted Albert Einstein for the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, [19] Thomas Jefferson for Monticello, [20] Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt for the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in New York, Robert E. Lee for the Stratford Hall (plantation) Museum in Virginia, Harry S. Truman for the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum [21] [22] in Missouri, poet John Keats for Guy's Hospital in London [23] [24] and poet Walt Whitman for a private client in Michigan.

Stuart Williamson bronze of poet John Keats Stuart Williamson bronze of poet John Keats.jpg
Stuart Williamson bronze of poet John Keats

Other works

Williamson has also created many personal works, including, Pina Bausch (Choreographer) and Bruno Schulz, (Author of 'Street of Crocodiles', Teacher and Artist), has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, annually at the Society of Portrait Sculptors show, the Mall Galleries and The American Masters Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan, and has exhibited many of his pastel drawings worldwide.

In 2001 Williamson was asked to train a group of Ecuadorian artists in portraiture, molding, wax casting, colouring, and hair insertion for the development of their Historical Museum at the Metropolitan Cultural Center in Quito, Ecuador. [25]

In 2014 Williamson sculpted a twice life-size bust of Professor Kin Yon Tin, who was one of the founders of the Civil Engineering Department at Fudan University, China. The bust was unveiled in Wuhan, China 21 October 2016. [26]

Rebecca pax pastel by Stuart Williamson Rebecca pax pastel by Stuart Williamson.jpg
Rebecca pax pastel by Stuart Williamson

Personal life

Stuart Williamson lives and works part-time in both New York City and Ecuador. [27] He is at present devoted to writing poetry.

See also

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References

  1. "Stuart Williamson " Artists " Royal British Society of Sculptors".
  2. portraitsculpture-online.com
  3. heidimaiers.com
  4. "The Family Travel Network".
  5. Washington's new 'life' by The Washington Times – Saturday, 18 February 2006, New York
  6. "Sophie in Wax". 24 February 1999.
  7. AP Archive (21 July 2015). "HONG KONG: MADAME TUSSAUDS TO OPEN NEW BRANCH" via YouTube.
  8. KAYE, JEFF (4 August 1990). "Waxing Enthusiastic Over Tussaud's Rock 'n' Roll Circus : Nostalgia: Opened less than a year ago in London, the rock museum features robotic figures of rock stars sculpted in wax. Each exhibit is accompanied by music and comment" via LA Times.
  9. "Face Value".
  10. "Stuart Williamson: Sculptor and Sculpture Teacher".
  11. "BRITAIN KYLIE MINOGUE".
  12. "artnet.com Magazine People – Transatlantic Out".
  13. "Amitabh unveils wax look-alike at Tussaud's". The Hindu . 21 December 2000.[ dead link ]
  14. The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon, By Carla Killough McClafferty, Carolrhoda Books, ISBN   0761356088, April 2011
  15. "Abe, We Hardly Knew Ye This Way". The New York Times. 29 June 2008.
  16. "Reading List: Abraham Lincoln – National Trust for Historic Preservation".
  17. "El Rostro de Bolívar – El Rostro de Bolívar".
  18. "Founding Fathers, Large as Life". The New York Times. 24 November 2002.
  19. "Griffith Observatory – Albert Einstein".
  20. "Statue of Thomas Jefferson – Thomas Jefferson's Monticello".
  21. "Harry Truman Statue & Bust – Truman State University".
  22. "Prologue: Selected Articles". 15 August 2016.
  23. "John Keats statue unveiled at Guy's Hospital".
  24. London's Statues and Monuments By Peter Matthews, Shire Publications (22 May 2012), ISBN   0747807981
  25. "Stuart Williamson, Escultor de Madame Tussauds radicado en Ecuador".
  26. "Stuart Williamson Debuts Portrait Bust of Professor Kin Yon Tin".
  27. The Paris Review, Arts & Culture, The Disasterpiece, The saga of Scary Lucy, 17 September 2015, by Chantel Tattoli