Hawk

Arneson, a long-time teacher in California, helped transformed the craft tradition of ceramic figurines into a viable contemporary sculptural medium. His unconventional approach to materials, along with the purposely ungainly aesthetic, made him a key figure in the California Funk movements of the 1960s and 70s.

Hawk combines contradictory sources and allusions. Its monumental scale, columnar base and classical bust format recall ancient Greek and Roman art. But the glossy glazes, graffiti-like notations and cartoonish drawing style spring from popular American culture—from the home decorating shop at the local suburban mall to gang markings in urban alleys.

The title makes reference to the Vietnam War and the "war hawks" in American government who supported it. The larger-than-life scale of Hawk makes it a kind of modern day war god. In 1981, Arneson explained: "I like art that has humor. I want to make ‘high’ art that is outrageous, while revealing the human condition which is not always high."