Dimitri Hadzi
Dimitri Hadzi (March 21, 1921 – April 16, 2006)[1] was an American abstract sculptor who lived and worked in Rome, Italy for 25 years and later resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he also taught at Harvard University for over a decade.
Dimitri Hadzi | |
|---|---|
 Dimitri Hadzi at work in his studio in Cambridge | |
| Born | March 21, 1921 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 16, 2006 (aged 85) Cambridge, MA |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Cooper Union |
| Known for | Abstract monumental sculpture |
| Notable work | Elmo Centaur Twin Gates Propylaea River Legend |
| Style | Abstract modernist |
| Spouse(s) | Martha Leeb (divorced) Cynthia Hoyle von Thüna (1985) |
| Awards | 1957 Guggenheim Fellow 1962 Venice Biennale 1974 Rome Prize |
| Elected | 1983 American Academy of Arts and Letters,1990 National Academy of Design, Associate member 1994 National Academy of Design, full Academician |
| Website | dimitrihadzi |
Life
Hadzi was born to Greek-American immigrant parents in Greenwich Village, New York City on March 21, 1921.[2] As a child, he attended a Greek after-school program, where he learned language, mythology, history, and theater. He also won a prize for drawing. After graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School, he worked as a chemist, while continuing his studies in chemistry by night.
In 1942, he signed up for the Army Air Force, serving in the South Pacific region while continuing to draw in his spare time.[3] After his service, he returned to New York to study painting and sculpture at Cooper Union.
Hadzi taught studio arts at Harvard University, from 1975 to 1989.[4]
Personal life
Hadzi married Martha Leeb, but later divorced. In June 1985, he married Cynthia von Thuna.[5] He died in 2006 and was interred at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[6]
Works
- Centaur (1954), in the garden of Prospect House in Princeton, New Jersey
- Elmo-MIT, 1960s
- K. 458 The Hunt (1966), Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, refers to Mozart's String Quartet in B flat, K. 458[2]
- River Legend (1976), Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland, Oregon
- Thermopylae (1960s), John F. Kennedy Federal Building, Boston
- Propylaea (1982), a sculptural fountain in Toledo, Ohio
- Omphalos (1985), formerly at Harvard Square MBTA station through the Arts on the Line program, but was to be repaired and relocated to Rockport, Massachusetts[7]
- Helmet V, (1959-1961) Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC[8]
- Red Mountains (1991), Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse, Birmingham, Alabama. The sculpture, installed in 1991, was removed in 2012 for renovations to the building. A provision of the 2014 Financial Appropriations Act barred the General Services Administration from replacing it for fear that it could be used to shield an attacker.[9]
- Elmo V (1961), The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection, Albany, NY[10]
Awards
- 1957 Guggenheim Fellow[11]
- 1962 Venice Biennale
- 1974 Rome Prize
- 1990 National Academy of Design, Associate member
- 1994 National Academy of Design, full Academician
Removal of artworks
Some of Hadzi's public artworks have been removed since his death, as noted above. In addition to the named works, a 60-foot (18 m) high sculptural fountain designed by him was completely demolished and removed circa 2014, despite protests by his widow and other commentators.[12] The artwork was the centerpiece of Boston's Copley Place indoor shopping mall, and was composed of multiple abstract granite and travertine marble shapes, with a waterfall cascading down it into a shallow pool at the bottom, surrounded by marble benches.[12] As of 2022, there was scant remaining evidence the fountain had ever existed, and the ownership, location, and status of its components were unknown to the general public.
References
- Dimitri Hadzi, 85, Sculptor and Art Professor, Is Dead
- Fox, Margalit (1 May 2006). "Dimitri Hadzi, 85, Sculptor and Art Professor, Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- "Dimitri Hadzi - Biography". Rogallery.com. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
- "Dimitri Hadzi". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- Gewertz, Ken (4 May 2006). "Renowned sculptor Dimitri Hadzi of VES dies at 85". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- "Dimitri Hadzi (1921-2006) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
- Edgers, Geoff (November 11, 2013). "Hadzi sculpture in Harvard Square to get fixed, then moved". Boston Globe. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- "Collection Search - Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden | Smithsonian". Hirshhorn.si.edu. 2010-12-07. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
- Faulk, Kent (July 17, 2014). "Art or security threat? U.S. House of Representatives votes against re-installing Birmingham federal courthouse sculpture". The Birmingham News. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
- "Empire State Plaza Art Collection".
- "Dimitri Hadzi - John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation". Gf.org. Archived from the original on 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
- Weigel, Margaret (26 September 2013). "Fuse Commentary: To Stay or Not to Stay? Copley Place's fountain faces an uphill battle". The Arts Fuse. artsfuse.org. Retrieved 2017-07-20.