"No Batteries Required" Duke Sundt
"No Batteries Required" Duke Sundt. Bronze sculpture. 12"H x 13"W. Limited Edition of 30.
The idea for this little sculpture actually began from watching news broadcasts pertaining to the problem in this nation with obesity in children. I thought about how difficult it was to get my kids to stop playing outdoors and come in to eat meals. This inspired me to create this composition to reflect my love for a lifestyle and the rural location where I chose to raise my family.
The two boys in my sculpture are obviously different from one another. They may be brothers or possibly neighbors. Often rural kids don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to playmates. They learn to get along with children of different ages and genders. They also develop skills to relate well with adults since often they spend a lot of time with adults helping out with ranch chores and projects.
One of the boys likes being a cowboy, perhaps like his dad or a favorite relative. The smaller boy, with his wooden sword and slingshot, wears a ball cap. They have two things in common that is apparent in the piece; they are having great fun together and are both country kids. Usually, only country kids know how to take a fish off the hook and put them on a stringer. The larger boy has caught a large fish judging from the bend in the fishing pole while his friend is excitedly enjoying the action and is holding the stringer of fish they have caught. He’s pointing to the hooked fish, engaging the viewer of this sculpture to imagine what the boys are so excited about. The dog on the bank of the river is also focused on the fish on the line. I chose a terrier type of dog, specifically a Jack Russell terrier, to reflect the scampish personality of that breed and capture the humor of it all. These little dogs have the heart of a lion and thrive on excitement.
I wish all kids could grow up this way, enjoying the outdoors and nature. I know it’s not possible. I have nothing against video games, computers or television, but I believe there is so much more to growing up and becoming a well-rounded person than what many children get to experience in this country today. Most importantly, parents should make sure their kids have as many work and play experiences as possible to stimulate their imaginations and creativity.
I have had a dual career in art and ranching since graduating from college in 1973. My art subjects often reflect my experiences with ranch life and working with livestock. I enjoy the diversity of opportunities the lifestyle allows me to pursue. Managing several different ranches on the outskirts of Las Vegas, NM for thirty five years has supplied me with a wealth of stories to tell in three-dimensional sculpture. Most of the body of my work has dealt with contemporary western Americana, wildlife of the southwest, and some historical themes involving American Indians. I prefer a representational style of sculpting my subject matter. Accuracy of detail in my work is as important to me as the story I’m telling in a sculpture. I want the cowboy’s tack and gear to be right and true. I believe it was this attention to detail that led me to be the artist chosen, in 1982, to sculpt a heroic size longhorn steer for the University of Texas at Austin, TX. The primary focus of this monument was to recognize the significant role longhorn cattle played in the historic development of Texas and the west. In 1985, I received the commission to sculpt four life size military soldiers representing four American wars since WWI for the campus at the New Mexico Military Institute. Again, my attention to realism in detail was what the selection committee was looking for. At the end of the project, funds became available to do a fifth soldier in the scale of 1.2 life size for NMMI.
Being the son of a military man, I was raised an “army brat” until the age of thirteen. My father, a 1932 West Point Military Academy graduate, was posted in Copenhagen, Denmark for four years in his last station of duty prior to retiring. The heroic bronze sculptures throughout the city, the many museums and art galleries my father and I visited left such strong impressions on me. My father’s influence with a soldiers’ point of view and my natural interest in military history impacted my desire to sculpt military subjects. In 1989, I completed a monument for New Mexico State University called “The Traders”. The tri-culture piece is based on commerce in territorial New Mexico circa 1850. I greatly enjoy the historical research required on all the monuments I have done. In 2007, I was commissioned to create a 1.2 life size monument, which is a tribute to Texas Vietnam Veterans that presently stands on the state capital grounds in Austin, Texas.
Working on ranches in northeastern New Mexico has given me the opportunity to meet very knowledgable people in the ranching business that all taught me something I could apply to my art work while always keeping an eye out for the humorous aspects in ranching life for my subjects.
I am so fortunate to have been able to spend my life pursuing my passion to document the cowboy life of the American west in sculpture. God gave me the good sense to follow my natural instincts to be a sculptor and the wisdom to know that this gift is a blessing.
All rights belonging to the holder of the copyright, including the reproduction rights, shall remain with the Artist.
In the event transportation of a purchased item is required, arrangements and direct billing will be handled outside the auction venue.
In the event transportation of a purchased item is required, arrangements and direct billing will be handled outside the auction venue.
What is CharityAuctionsToday?