Stylized Elegance...Very Mary

I was asked by a client to design a carved wood headboard with "old Hawaii" style figures and foliage. Pictured here is an early 20th century Marguerite Blasingame which was part of my inspiration. I particularly like the simplicity of the shallow carving with soft "pillow" edges. To see more of this era, research the work of Blasingame and Fritz Ablanalp--we'd love to see what you find!

"Marguerite Blasingame compactly fitted the figure, monumental in form, within the tight, shallow geometric confines of the panel. This depiction of a fallen male nude is reminiscent of sculptural reliefs from ancient Greece. Blasingame's sinuous contours and simplified anatomy create a composition of stylized elegance. 20.5 X 15.25 in." (Severson, Hotikawa, Saville pg. 213)

Severson, Don R.,Hotikawa, Michael D., Saville, Jennifer. Finding Paradise: Honolulu, University of Hawai'i Press, 2002.

Marguerite Louis Blasingame (1906-1947)

Marguerite Louis Blasingame (1906–1947) was an American sculptor. She was born Marguerite Louis in Honolulu in 1906. She graduated from the University of Hawaii and then went on to earn an M. A. in art from Stanford University in 1928. Marguerite returned to Hawaii, where she became an established sculptor of figural works, many of them bas-reliefs in wood and stone. Her depictions were usually sinuous in contour with simplified anatomy. During the Great Depression she was a Works Progress Administration artist and filled many commissions for architectural panels. She was also a member of the Hawaiian Mural Guild. Marguerite Louis Blasingame died in 1947 while traveling in Mexico.

Three of her sculptures are installed in the John Dominis and Patches Damon Holt Gallery of the Honolulu Museum of Art. Other sculptures in public places includes an untitled 1935 marble sculpture in Ala Moana Park, Honolulu, Hawaii and Hawaiian Decagonal Fountain (1934–1935) at Kawananakoa School, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Marguerite Louis Blasingame. (2013, May 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:14, October 11, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marguerite_Louis_Blasingame&oldid=555283423

"This modern fresco was one of a pair just inside the Waikiki's doors, executed in full color by noted artist Marguerite Blasingame, and were possibly the first frescos in Hawai'i. Blasingame was primarily a sculptor, but was clearly skilled in this medium as well. These unique works were unfortunately demolished whenthe theatre expanded its lobby in the early 1800s." (Angell pg. 95)

Angel, Lowell. Theatres of Hawai'i: Charleston, Arcadia Publishing, 2011.

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