Umlauf Gallery

Arthur Umlauf

Sculptor

550 Shades Crest Rd.  

Hoover, AL 35226

arthurumlauf@charter.net

205.979.4211

 ~ Artist Statement ~

ARTHUR UMLAUF – SCULPTOR

Gallery & Studio

550 Shades Crest Road   Hoover, Alabama 35226

(205) 979-4211 arthurumlauf@charter.net

www.umlaufgallery.com 

ARTHUR UMLAUF – SCULPTOR

Gallery & Studio

550 Shades Crest Road Hoover, Alabama 35226

(205) 979-4211 arthurumlauf@charter.net

 

About the Artist

Not so very long ago, I was a carpenter and cabinetmaker. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to make a change in my life and I chose to begin sculpting. My formal art education has been brief with courses at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a few workshops at the Sloss Furnace and at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Overall, my most rewarding learning experiences have been under the mentorship of Cordray Parker, one of Birmingham’s best-known and well-respected bronze sculptors. As a result, I have been able to explore the nuances of mold making, casing and pouring bronze using the lost-wax method in a relatively short period.

In addition, I have to acknowledge the influence of my artist-family -- my brothers, my sisters, as well as my late father, Charles Umlauf, a famous sculptor in his own right. I grew up in a home filled with life-size renditions of religious icons, studies of animals, figure studies, and characters drawn from Greek mythology. Although art was an integral part of my early life, only now in my 50’s have I begun to try out my ideas in bronze, ceramics, wood and marble carving. My strong work ethic has allowed me to fully invest myself in my artwork. I have even surprised myself by what I have been able to achieve starting with clay, wax or stone. Like my father, I prefer figurative work, the female form, classic themes as well as abstractions.

Artist’s Statement

When I look at the raw material, clay, wood or a stunning piece of alabaster, I take in the integrity of the material. The artist’s challenge is to take full advantage of the natural beauty of the material and transform it into an emotive figure. The artist must maintain the strength of that natural state and imbue the new object with an esthetic value that is both tactile and visual.

One of the hallmarks of my work is that I am solely responsible for every step in the preparation of a sculpture. Many artists have contracts with bronze foundries to prepare molds, pour the bronze and apply patina finishes to their work. Others employ stone workers to rough out or polish marble or alabaster figures. These steps are tedious and labor intensive. However, I enjoy the labor and the creative demand of sculpting in marble, bronze and wood. In the end, the viewer is certain that every stroke and every mark is intentional and serves to convey my purpose.

A. Umlauf - Sculptor 2

Selected Shows and Professional Experience

2008 Bryant Galleries, New Orleans, LA (Gallery Artist)

Featured Artist – October, Four Seasons Antiques and Art Gallery, Homewood, AL

September Artists Show, Jennifer Harwell Gallery, Homewood, AL

Alabama’s Finest, Gadsden Museum of Art, Gadsden, AL (one-man show)

The 2 Man Show, Soon-Bok Lee Sellers Art Gallery, Hoover, AL

Winter Arts Fair, Hoover Arts Alliance, Hoover, AL.

2007 Blackwood Gallery, Springville, AL (Gallery Artist)

Jennifer Harwell Gallery, Birmingham, AL (Gallery Artist)

Art Walk, Birmingham, AL (Juried Show)

Gadsden Museum of Art, Gadsden, AL, (Juried Show) 2^{nd place & purchase award}

Magic City Art Connection, Birmingham, AL (Juried Festival)

Creative Visions in Motion, Four Seasons Gallery, Homewood, AL (2 person show)

Bi- State Art Competition, Meridian Museum of Art, Meridian, MS (Juried show)

BAA Gallery, AmSouth Harbert Center, Birmingham, AL (Gallery Artist)

Art Alley, Birmingham, AL (Gallery Artist)

Four Seasons Antiques & Art Gallery, Birmingham, AL (Gallery Artist)

The Seen Gallery, Decatur, GA (Gallery Artist)

2006 Art Alley, Birmingham, AL (Gallery Artist)

Art Walk, Birmingham, AL

Four Seasons Antiques & Art, Hoover, AL (Gallery Artist) Artist of the Month - July, 2006

Homewood Library Gallery (June, 2006), Homewood, AL

Arts Alive - 20th Annual Juried Show, Florence, AL

Birmingham Art Association, Birmingham, AL (Juried Show) 2 pieces

AmSouth Harbert Center, Birmingham, AL

One-man show, AmSouth Harbert Center, Birmingham AL

Featured Artist of the Month (March 2006), Birmingham Magazine, Birmingham, AL

Art Auction 2006, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, AL

The Seen Gallery, Decatur, GA (Gallery Artist)

Gallery 2306, Birmingham, AL (Gallery Artist)

2005 Gallery 2306, Birmingham, AL (one-man show)

The Seen Gallery, Decatur, GA (Gallery Artist)

Art Walk, Birmingham, AL (Juried Festival)

National View at Grandview, Atlanta Arts Center, Atlanta, GA (Juried Show)

13th Southeast Regional Fine Arts Exhibition, Fort Walton Beach, FL (Juried Show)

Animals in Art, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA (International Juried Show)

Southern Roots, Academy of Fine Arts, Birmingham, AL (Juried Show)

2nd & 3rd place award - Sculpture.

Exhibition, South Tennessee Valley Art Center, Tuscumbia, AL (Juried Show)

Birmingham Art Association, Birmingham, AL (Juried Show)

3rd place award - Sculpture

42nd Annual Bluff Park Art Show, Hoover, AL (Juried Show)

2004 Jubilee Cultural Arts Alliance Atlanta GA, (Juried Show) Art Excellence Award

The Seen Gallery, Decatur, GA (Gallery Artist)

Art by the Lake, Deerwood Lake, AL

A. Umlauf - Sculptor 3

41st Annual Bluff Park Art Show, Hoover, AL (Juried Show)

Garden Party Gala, Alzheimer’s Association, Birmingham, AL

Southern Roots, Alabama Academy of Fine Arts, Birmingham, AL (Juried Show)

3rd place award - Sculpture

Arts Alive, Kennedy–Douglas Center for the Arts, Florence AL (Juried Show)

Bi-State Art Competition, Meridian Museum of Art, Meridian, MS (Juried Show)

Open House Studio and Gallery 550 Shades Crest, Hoover AL

2003 40th Annual Bluff Park Art Show, Hoover, AL (Juried Show)

Art by the Lake, Deerwood Lake, AL

Garden Party Gala, Alzheimer’s Association, Birmingham, AL

Featured Artist, Birmingham Art Review, June 2003 (premier issue)

Southern Roots, Alabama Academy of Fine Arts, Birmingham, AL (Juried Show)

1st place award - Sculpture

Membership Show - Birmingham Art Association Gallery, (Juried Show)

1st and 2nd place award - Sculpture

Open House Studio and Gallery 550 Shades Crest, Hoover AL

2002 Southern Roots, Alabama Academy of Fine Arts, Birmingham, AL (Juried Show)

3rd place Award in Sculpture

Artist Interview, "The Other Side" WEAB-TV, Birmingham, AL

Garden Party Gala - Alzheimer’s Association, Birmingham, AL

Annual Members Show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery (Juried Show)

Board Member, Birmingham Art Association Gallery

Open House Studio and Gallery 550 Shades Crest, Hoover AL

2001 – 2002 President, Birmingham Art Association

2001 One and Two Dimensions II – 2 person show Birmingham Art Association Gallery

Winter Members Show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery

Spring Members Show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery

Garden Party Gala, Alzheimer’s Association, Birmingham, AL

Membership Show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery (Juried Show)

Featured Artist (September, 2001), Birmingham Magazine

Bronze Artists Exhibition, Durbin Gallery, Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, AL

Fall Membership Show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery

2000 One and Two Dimensions - 2 person show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery

Artist of the Month (April 2000), Shelby County Library, Shelby, AL

Garden Party Gala, Alzheimer’s Association, Birmingham, AL

Spring Members Show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery

Membership Show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery (Juried Show)

Board Member, Birmingham Art Association

1999 Membership Show, Birmingham Art Association Gallery (Juried Show)

Women’s Shelter Gala, Alabama Theater, Birmingham, AL

1997 Visual Arts Gallery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Juried Student Show

1996 Visual Arts Gallery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Juried Student Show