By Carole Deutsch Chances are you have passed by the design work of Fred Press every time you enter an antique shop. His 1950s and ’60s glassware is everywhere it seems as are his figures of animals. Press wanted to share his art with the masses at affordable prices. Yet few people know who he was. Press (American, 1919-2012) categorized himself as a sculptor, but he was a multi-faceted artist who received high acclaim, not only as an outstanding sculptor, but also as a painter, glass designer, author, illustrator, and commercial artist. Press did not engage in self-promotion; he was an unassuming man who came from a humble background. He had no desire to create new technological advances. However, he did engage in inventive ways of approaching his art, but preferred to work with what was available with methods that were already in play. His desire was not to recreate the art world but rather to have his art reflect the heartfelt moments of his life, not the bright shining star moments, but rather the simple pleasures in his modest life. He was the son of Rose and Samuel Press, Russian immigrants who lived in a poor neighborhood on the West End of Boston. The apartment building had a pigeon coop on the roof and young Fred first learned a love of animals from that perspective.. He began sculpting in order to enter the Annual Procter and Gamble Soap Sculpture Contest, which the company introduced in the 1920s with the objective of getting kids to like soap. The first competition had 23 million entries. The event was not exactly child’s play; it demanded a serious approach to art and the stakes were high. In the 1930s, as a teenager, Press won the contest four years in a row and was asked by the committee not to enter again because they felt he would continue to win and wanted other promising talents to be able to compete. The judges were famous artists, distinguished museum representatives, and industry leaders. Not only did this achievement establish Press as a sculptor in prestigious standing, but the generous cash awards afforded him the opportunity to enter the Vesper George School of Art. In the late 1930s he and his brother founded Contemporary Arts, Inc. The firm reproduced and distributed Fred’s sculptures, which were made in plaster. He first sketched the subject and translated it to a wire frame where it became a clay figure that was placed in a rubber mold. It was then filled with gypsum plaster, cured at 120°F for 24 hours, and removed to be hand finished and hand painted. He later manufactured and produced his busts in cast metal and bronze. At the onset of World War II Press was assigned to the Army Air Corp and as a technical sergeant stationed in Panama he became the managing editor of The Caribbean Breeze, the official publication of the Sixth Air Force. He wrote articles for the magazine and illustrated all of the covers. After the war he returned to Boston and became a teacher at the Vesper George School of Art. It was at this time he got to have something he wanted all his life — an animal of his own, two in fact. They were Cocker Spaniels named Rodney and Judge and his interaction with his dogs was a further inspiration for his art. Fred’s animal depictions are amazingly expressive and one of his most sought-after subjects. In 1946, inspired by his wife Alice, he started to paint and began with still life subjects. He then searched his extensive collection of sketches he drew when he was in Panama. It was at this time that his paintings began to appear in local galleries, and then in major museums. Press gained world class recognition as an outstanding painter and illustrator, as well as a renowned sculptor. In the early 1950s he moved to New York City and became the leading designer and Executive Vice President of Rubel and Company, a posh New York City company located on Fifth Ave, that produced high quality decorative household items. He remained in the position for 30 years and in that time revolutionized the giftware industry, predominantly through his exotic glassware. He took an ordinary form of glass and turned it into a sensational work of art through his imaginative eye-catching designs using a brilliant combination of color, texture, and artistic perfection. His commercial designs for Rubel also included sculptures and functional houseware accessories with a fresh decorative flair. When the long awaited Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. was finally built in the 1980s, Fred Press was commissioned to sculpt two out of the 24 bronze wall sculptural plaques in honor of our nation’s heroes and landmark moments in our U.S. history. One of his plaques depicted the 1950 Battle of Inchon, South Korea, in which the Navy launched a surprise attack which resulted in the recapture of the Korean capital, Seoul. The plaque portrays Marines deboarding a boat using ladders to climb to land. The central figure is wearing his helmet with the throatlatch unhooked and a cartridge belt across his waist. The other plaque honors John Paul Jones, one of the Navy’s greatest heroes, as he gives his crew onboard the USS Ranger the command to fire a cannon in a battle with the HMS Drake in the Irish Sea. Harvey Schneider, Fred Press’s nephew, shared his commentary on the historical plaques. “Of all my uncle’s work it is these two sculptures that most define him as an artist and a person. The subject matter of the dogged warriors was not unlike the man himself. He let nothing overcome him and he would not back down. Uncle Fred approached everything with this mindset. When he took on a new project he learned all he could about his subject matter and spent many hours in exhaustive research and then translated what he learned to his art. This can best be seen in “Battle of Inchon.” It was critical to him that he represented the marines in precise detail right down to the boot chaps they wore to keep their pants from getting hooked on the ladder. All of his art had that kind of in-depth accuracy. He did so much research on John Paul Jones that he became an authority on the subject and ultimately wrote a book about him. Jones refused to acknowledge defeat against insurmountable odds. My uncle had the same life philosophy of staying with something until he conquered it – no plan B. He went from abject poverty to overwhelming success in everything he put his hand to and everything he made went to support his family members. He succeeded in a world that thrives on the spotlight in spite of the fact that he abhorred publicity and shunned the limelight. You might say he was the Clark Kent of the art world and he was my hero.” Press was also known as an accomplished writer. He authored Sculpture at Your Fingertips, Remembering the Caribbean Breeze and The Ranger and John Paul Jones. He also wrote for art and literary publications, including the American Artist Magazine, and also contributed to the Christian Science Monitor in Boston. Although Fred Press is highly acclaimed in the art world, his work does not command high market prices in the collectibles arena today. This is largely due to Press’s initiative in establishing Contemporary Arts in that he wanted to make quality art available to the general public. After winning a first prize award at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, he mass produced the piece and sold it for $4.25, today’s equivalent of approximately $40. He refused to sell through galleries due to their pricing structure. The majority of his paintings were given to family and friends after they had been exhibited. For an in-depth look at the work of Fred Press visit www.fredpressartwork.com. Thank you to Harvey Schneider for his insight into his uncle. |