1995 Karen Crain Bronze Nude Female "Chaste"

**Originally Listed At $1500**

Karen E. Crain (American), "Chaste" - bronze, signed, numbered 1/20, and dated 1995. An elegant bronze sculpture of a beautiful nude woman holding a long towel or robe against her body as she walks forward, perhaps having finished or about to take a bath. Assuming a very natural pose that implies motion, her left leg is bent at the knee with the foot raised as her weight is shifted to her straightened right leg, and her torso gently turns toward the right as she holds her garment or towel in both hands between her breasts, the folds of the drapery cascading to the base of the piece. The subject is a young female with an attractive face and long flowing, centrally parted hair. Although the title "Chaste" implies that she does not have a sexual nature or intention, her sensuality is undeniable, and as discussed below, reminds this art historian of Praxiteles' inspiration for 'new' renderings of Aphrodite during the 4th century BCE that emphasized the goddess' sexuality. The attractive wooden stand is fitted with spinning castors, so that the sculpture can easily swivel a full 360 degrees and be oriented in whichever direction the viewer wishes. Size: 32" H (81.3 cm); 33.5" H (85.1 cm) on included custom stand.

One can easily see how Crain's nude continues a longstanding tradition of depicting Aphrodite / Venus - the goddess of love and beauty - in the nude as she has either finished or is about to take a bath. In the 4th century BCE, Praxiteles created his Aphrodite of Knidos which being life-size and nude emphasized her beauty as well as her sexuality. This was quite an innovation, and inspired later artists to create statues depicting Aphrodite (Roman Venus) attempting to cover her nakedness to little avail.

Artist's statement: "My art is very personal to me. I fancy myself a poet, a story teller and a songwriter. My medium is physical rather than oral. I fall in love with each piece I create because they all come from a place deep inside me. My inspirations come from many different sources, lyrics from songs floating around in my head, a model that settles into a pose and wears his or her emotion on their body, a feeling or inner thought that needs to be expressed, the day-to-day observation of the human spirit, even a family photograph that provokes wonderful memories."

HONORS and AWARDS: 2011 Sculpture Tour - Eau Claire, WS Best of Show; 2008 Sculpture walk - Sioux Falls, SD People' Choice Award & Sculpture Tour - Gunnison, CO People' Choice Award & Carnegie Garden juried exhibit - Colorado Springs, CO Certificate of Merit; 2007 Sculpture Walk, Sioux Falls, SD People's Choice Award - Sculpture Tour, Gunnison, Colorado Certificate of Merit – Carnegie Garden Juried Exhibit Colorado Springs, Colorado; 2006 People's Choice Award - Sculptures in the Streets, Mesa, Arizona; 2004 Adonis Bronze Foundries Award – Sculptural Pursuit Magazine Honorarium – Art on the Plaza – Sheridan, Wyoming; 2003 Featured Artist – Sculpture Along the Trinity at Bear Creek – Keller, Texas; 2001 Featured Artist – American Women Artists Competition Exhibition Santa Fe, New Mexico Scottsdale Award – Scottsdale Artists' School/Meyer Gallery; 2000 Award for Sculpture – Scottsdale Artists' School – Best and Brightest Scottsdale, Arizona; 1998 Silver Medal for Sculpture – Allied Artists of America, New York, New York Best of Sculpture – Art Students League of Denver – Denver, Colorado; 1997 Working Scholarship – Scottsdale Artists School; 1992 Roman Bronze Award – 46th Pen and Brush Sculpture Exhibition, New York

EXHIBITIONS: 2011 Sculpture Tour - Eau Claire, WS City Art Walking Sculpture Tour - Mankato, MN; 2010 Southwest Gallery - Dallas, TX & Louisville Art in the Park - Louisville, CO & Gallery in the Park - Altone - Manitoba, Canada; 2009 American Women Artists National Exhibition Galerie Gabrie, Pasadena, California; 2007 Art and Friends, RL Foster Galleries – Denver, Colorado; 2004 Frelinghuysen Morris Museum – Lennox, Massachusetts National Sculpture Society Annual Awards Exhibition Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina; 2003 National Sculpture Society – New York City, New York Sculpture Along the Trinity at Bear Creek – Keller, Texas; 2002 American Women Artists Fifth Annual National Competition The Columbine Gallery and The Inn at Loretto – Santa Fe, New Mexico; 2001 American Women Artist Fourth Annual National Competition The Southwest Contemporary Gallery – Santa Fe, New Mexico 2000 Scottsdale Artists School – Best and Brightest – Scottsdale, Arizona; 1999 National Sculpture Society "Everyday Life" Exhibit – New York, New York Allied Artists of America Annual Show – New York, New York Danada Sculpture gardens – Lombard, Illinois Southwest Classis Invitational – Kerrville, Texas; 1998 Southwest Classis Invitational – Kerrville, Texas Charlene Cody Gallery – Santa Fe, New Mexico Sculpture Along the Trinity – Fort Worth, Texas Danada Sculpture Gardens – Lombard, Illinois Allied Artists Annual Show – New York, New York; 1997 Colorado Clay – Foothills Art Center – Golden, Colorado Colorado Art Open – Foothills Art Center – Golden, Colorado; 1996 Pen and Brush – New York, New York Artists of Colorado Exhibition – Colorado History Museum – Denver, Colorado Spring Showcase – The photo Mirage Gallery – Denver, Colorado; 1995-2004 Sculpture in the Park – Loveland, Colorado; 1993-1994 Loveland Sculpture Invitational – Loveland, Colorado; 1992 Allied Artists of American Exhibition – New York, New York Pen and Brush – New York, New York; 1990-1995 Art Students League of Denver Exhibition – Denver, Colorado

Provenance: private Denver, Colorado, USA collection, acquired at Abend Gallery in 1998

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#145190
Condition Report: Sculpture is in excellent condition. Signed, numbered 1/20, and dated 1995 behind the drapery.