Abbott Pattison: The Figure Forward

Abbott Pattison: The Figure Forward

Abbott Pattison (1916-1999) was a prominent mid-century modern sculptor in Chicago, where he was born and spent most of his career. He was active in Chicago from about 1949 to about 1983 then moved to Maine where he continued to work.

The ten works in this exhibition, drawn from the 15 works in the Museum’s permanent collection, exemplify the broad range and creative diversity of Pattison’s practice, which spans both representational and abstract styles, with an emphasis on the human form.

The intimate exhibition, installed in the historic McCormick House includes works in cast and carved bronze, carved stone and drawing. Together, these pieces showcase the breadth of Pattison's expression, from classical figuration to bold, textured abstraction, with works dating from 1960 to 1980.

Pattison saw himself as a direct descendent of all sculptors, and he attributed the fluidity of his style to this inheritance. He often worked in many styles and mediums simultaneously and his practice resists being traced as a linear development or progression over time. In these works, his signature organic geometries and cubist influences are evident, and his work seamlessly bridges traditional form and avant-garde midcentury expression.

A Pattison work can be visually confounding. Some works appear representational when viewed from one angle, and dissolve into abstraction when viewed from even a slightly different approach. Pattison delighted in the use of multiple planes that capture and reflect light at various angles. On some works, wire-like lines protrude from and return to the piece - seeming to reference unseen energetic forces whirling around the structure.

Overall, the Elmhurst Art Museum collection contains 15 works by Abbott Pattison, including sculptures, drawings, and wall works fashioned from wood.

Pattison produced many large-scale public and private commissions throughout Chicago and the suburbs. More than 30 pieces are located across the region, including at DePaul University, Chicago State University, and The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Garden.

Abbott Pattison: The Figure Forward includes works in the McCormick House, the Hostelter Gallery, and outside the Museum’s east wall in the Moy Pavillion.

Liz Chilsen, curator

Abbott Pattison BIO

Abbott Pattison (1916-1999) was a prominent mid-century modern sculptor in Chicago, where he was born and spent most of his career. He was active in Chicago from about 1949 to about 1983, then moved to Maine where he continued to work until his death in 1999.

Pattison was the second of 7 children. His father was a well-known real estate developer in Chicago. He and several of his siblings attended the renowned Frances Parker School in Chicago’s Wicker Park, and two of his siblings pursued similar creative paths. His sister Priscilla Pattison was a sculptor after studying at the Chicago Art Institute and Yale. Another sister, Harriett Pattison studied at Yale and went on to become a prominent landscape architect, working with Louis Kahn and establishing a successful private practice.

Abbott Pattison studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, and then at Yale University, He earned a BA degree in 1937 from Yale College, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1939 from Yale School of Fine Arts, among a class of 52 students. A 6-month travel scholarship following graduation - a first prize awarded by Yale - took him to Northern China and Japan in 1939. He returned to the US in 1940 and entered Officer’s training school. From 1942-1945 he was captain of a Pacific Command sub-chaser, and rose to full commander.

After the war Pattison returned to Chicago where he set up his studio. He joined the faculty of The Art Institute of Chicago as an instructor of sculpture where he taught from 1946-1952. He is the recipient of the Logan Prize (1942) the Eisendrath Prize (1946) and twice received the Pauline Palmer Prize (1950 & 1953), all awarded by the Art Institute of Chicago.

In addition to the Elmhurst Art Museum, his work is held in the collections of universities, corporations and museums worldwide, including the Whitney Museum in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Corcoran Museum in Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Museum and the Museum of the Israeli State in Jerusalem. Five of his pieces are owned by the United States State Department and are located in embassies overseas. One of Abbott Pattison's sculptures is in Buckingham Palace, London.

Pattison was represented in Chicago by the Fairweather-Hardin Gallery. He held eight one-man exhibits in New York City at The Downtown Gallery and Edith Halpern Gallery. He was also represented in Los Angeles by The Feingarten Gallery, and in London by The Alwin Gallery. Pattison’s son Harry Pattison maintains this website with a full listing of awards, collections, commissions, and exhibitions up to 1978.

For over 40 years, Pattison had an ongoing professional relationship with the Marinelli Foundry in Florence Italy, where all his cast works were produced. Pattison spent many summers working at the foundry, eventually being awarded a studio of his own. In his later years, the city of Florence presented him with the key to the city.

The Elmhurst Art Museum holds 15 works by Pattison. Twelve were a gift from the collection of Lee and Brena Freeman, acquired in 2007. One piece was acquired in 1983 with funds from The Frank W. England Fund, and in 1984, the Museum received a gift from Frank W. England, Clarence & Pat Graves, Iona D. & Albert GlosFdn.,and Alben F. & Clara G. Bates.

More than 30 of Pattison’s commissioned works can be found throughout the city of Chicago and the region including at the University of Chicago, DePaul University, Chicago State University and the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Garden.