Merry Christmas, woodblock 1937

Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Years

from Harry Jackson’s family and Harry Jackson Studios

woodblock by Harry Jackson 1937, copyright all rights reserved Harry Jackson Trust

Harry Jackson sculptures at Coeur d’Alene Art auction a success!

Over all it was a good auction.  There were some very good prices paid for Harry Jackson Sculptures.  The highest price of the group was for the Stampede sculpture at $105,300.  There were records set at auction for: the Pony Express Painted $64,350; Two Champs $52,650; The Flag Bearer Painted $52,650; The Cowboy’s Meditation Painted $43,800.

The Harry Jackson market is strong and the auction shows that.  He was an incredible artist and his sculptures are some of the finest ever created.

It was very nice to meet some of you who collect his sculptures and believe in the quality and power of his art.  Thanks to the staff of the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction who put on a real good show.

Coeur d’Alene Art Auction – notes from the auction

The auction is still a day away.  I got here yesterday afternoon and was really impressed with the Grand Ball room in the Silver Legacy Casino in Reno where the auction is being held.  More importantly I’m impressed with the art and the display of my dad’s sculptures.

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The twelve of the sculptures are all together and it is a very impressive group of sculptures.  The stampede is in the center of the display by the auctioneer’s podium.  It is there right in front of a large Albert Bierstadt painting titled “Mount Rainier”.

This evening I’ll be signing books starting at 5:00pm.

- Matt Jackson

Rare Harry Jackson sculptures at the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction

I’ll be at the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction this weekend.  The Harry Jackson Estate has 13 sculptures in the auction.

Algonquin Chief and Warrior Painted

Bronc Stomper Painted

Dog Soldier Painted

Foreman Painted

Marshal Painted

Pony Express Painted

In The Wind

Stampede

Sacagawea 3′ Study for a monument

Two Champs Painted

The Flag Bearer Painted

Victor Painted

 

The sculptures in the auction are like a greatest hits collection of Harry Jackson sculpture.  The Two Champs, Pony Express Painted, Marshal Painted, The Flag Bearer Painted and of course the Stampede sculpture.  In The Wind is a hauntingly beautiful mask of Sacagawea and has not been at auction before.  The Cowboys Meditation Painted was the first sculpture that he painted.  The sculpture had been completed, but after a while the color of the cowboy’s shirt nagged at him.  He wanted to know in such a situation what would the color of the shirt be and if he was wondering that so would other people wonder.  If it was a painting he’d know.  So he painted the sculpture and when people saw the final result they loved it.  The other sculptures in the auction have a tremendous history as well: Bronc Stomper Painted, Dog Soldier Painted, Foreman Painted, Sacagawea 3′ study for a monument, The Victor Painted, Algonquin Chief and Warrior Painted.

Over the next couple of day’s I’ll post images of the sculptures and some back ground on them.

A link to the auction website is: http://www.cdaartauction.com/

A link to the online auction catalog is: Catalog

I’ll be at the preview on Friday signing books.  I’ll have the following books with me:

• Harry Jackson by Harry N. Abrams
• Lost Wax Bronze Casting 2nd Edition Hard Cover
• Lost Wax Bronze Casting 1st Edition Hard Cover signed by Harry Jackson
• Harry Jackson – 40 Year Catalog
• A monument in bronze Sacagawea by Harry Jackson

I will also have the following videos available:

• Harry Jackson – A Man and his Art
• The Art of Harry Jackson

Hope to see you there,

Matthew Jackson.

Do or Dine restaurant opens in Brooklyn, NY

Luke Jackson is one of 4 partners to open up a new restaurant in Brooklyn named “Do or Dine.”  It’s just opened less than a week ago!  It’s exciting to see it come together and they have a facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/DOorDINE ) with photos showing it being built.  It’s in the food blog at the New York Times  (http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/do-or-dine-or-dont/)

Some photos from their facebook page. that shows the interior and the mural on the wall of the patio area they have behind the restaurant.

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Luke is also an artist in his own right, although it’s taken a back seat to the restaurant this past year.  Here’s his website where you can see his work: http://www.lukejackson.biz/Site/Painting.html

Harry Jackson sculptures at La Versiliana in Pietrasanta, Italy

Villa at La Versiliana park in Marina di Pietrasanta

Over the 28th and 29th of May 2011 there was a show called L’Arte del Cavallo (Art of the Horse) at La Versiliana park in Marina di Pietrasanta, Italy.

We will be updating this post with better photos as we get them. These photos are just quick snapshots of some of the sculptures on display.

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The name of Harry Jackson in that area is synonymous with the American West and horses and the life of the cowboy. People still remember in 1984 when his 22 foot sculpture of John Wayne on horseback titled “The Horseman” could be seen from a main road right next to the marble yard that had built the marble steps for it.

The Horseman Painted sculpture on display at marble yard in Pietrasanta Italy

Dad had it taken down to the marble yard to make sure it all went together well before it was shipped to America. The sculpture was on view for a week or more and drew thousands of viewers.

• Official website of show (in italian): http://www.artedelcavallo.it/’
• A map showing location in Italy not far from Harry’s house and studio: Marina di Pietrasanta

A glimpse of Harry Jackson’s life – First time traveling to Italy

Here are some sketches from the first trip my father took to Italy.

Bay of Naples 7/9/1954 by Harry Jackson, copyright Harry Jackson Trust

Naples street scene by Harry Jackson 7/9/1954 copyright Harry Jackson Trust

I want to show these sketches because they are from the first trip my father took to Italy and the rest of Europe.  He arrived in 1954 to study the masters of the renaissance and to part ways with the abstract expressionist school of art in NY.  It is a very important period in his continuing development as an artist and as a maverick.

Most of the sketches he made at this time were made to study the work of the masters.  That was what he was there to do.  Even so sketching one’s surroundings and working from life is an important part of developing one’s artistic voice.  One can see here that he did that as well as study the works of the masters.

I am currently in Italy visiting my father’s home and studio.  It is where I was born and all my brothers and sisters were born.  Well my sister Molly was born in Sweden, but she was at the home in Italy soon enough. The home in Italy was built in the mid 60′s, just before I was born, and has been an important and constant part in the lives of all of us children.  It is where an incredible amount of his creative work has been done and where his foundry was located.  All of this was in his future when he first came to Italy and made the simple sketches above.