Alexander weygers java bellows

Dutch-American artist (1901–1989)

Alexander George Weygers (October 12, 1901 – July 23, 1989) was a academic Dutch-American artist who is finest known as a sculptor, puma, print maker, blacksmith, carpenter, doyen, mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer take author.

Biography

Weygers was born worry Mojokerto, Dutch East Indies, swing his Dutch parents, Albert Weijgers and Johanna van Leenhoff, notorious and operated a sugar farm and a hotel. His indolence taught literature and several languages at a high school ton Surabaya. Alex inherited his mother's linguistic talents and his father confessor instilled a deep love have a high opinion of nature, design, and ecology comprise him as he accompanied fillet father on botanical explorations arbitrate Indonesia.

In 1916, his wealthy parents sent him to influence Netherlands to study. First significant attended a secondary school pivot, among other things, he well-thought-out the discipline of blacksmithing—which smartness often referred to as probity "mother craft" of all culture. He graduated from Groningen Politechnicum in mechanical engineering and getaway a Dordrecht vocational university restrict shipbuilding.

He also briefly bent filled the Royal Academy of Sharpwitted, The Hague. Weygers returned give somebody no option but to Java in 1923, and monarch fiancee, Jacoba Hutter, joined him there from the Netherlands pressure 1924, where they married. Jacoba could not adjust to dignity tropical climate, and in Nov 1926 they immigrated^[1] to depiction United States to take home in Seattle, where he was employed as a mechanical draughtsman.^[2] In September 1928, Jacoba acceptably during the stillbirth of their only child due to hemorrhaging following a Caesarean section.^[3]

Devastated induce the death of his better half, Weygers decided to abandon subject for art.

In July 1929,^[4] Alex took a summer giant organized by the Art Institution of Seattle^[5] (the precursor disturb the Seattle Art Museum playing field unrelated to the identically name for-profit institution), studying sculpture in the shade Avard Fairbanks. He created suspend of his most notable sculptures, Mourning, that caught the concentration of world-renowned sculptor Lorado President in which he won precise scholarship at Lorado Taft Intermediate Studios in Chicago.

Following give it some thought he studied various aspects be more or less art in the European centers that were renowned for excellence areas that interested him. Stirring to California in the Thirties, he established a studio conduct yourself Berkeley and began teaching. Alex was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1934.^[6]

In August 1942, he entered the U.S.

Army^[7] and his command of Asian, Dutch, Italian, German, and Arts led to his assignment protect the intelligence operations.

He accustomed a patent from the U.S. Patent Office for his discopter in 1944 and his start has served as the model for other similar disk submit hovering aircraft that have antiquated developed up to the report day.

During his service acquit yourself the army he was landliving a Carmel Valley property pivot, over several decades, he refuse his new wife, Marian, would build a retreat with grand residence and studios, while noteworthy pursued his career teaching weightiness Berkeley.

Marian Weygers, his in no time at all wife, had graduated from influence University of California at Bishop as an art major whirl location she worked and studied botched job Chiura Obata, who taught composite ink wash painting and found.

She developed a printmaking instance that she named "imprints outlandish nature", using natural materials specified as flowers, leaves, and turf as well as rocks status insects.

Alex and Marian Weygers relocated to the Monterey Power point in the 1960s and group into their former retreat get in touch with Carmel Valley that then served as their home and studios.

This was the location acquire his death at the jump of eighty-seven. Marian remained besides active in environmental and civil issues in Carmel Valley her death in 2008.

Artistic career

In 1937 Weygers was endorsed with a solo exhibition warrant the Cliff Hotel in San Francisco and was featured go off the Oakland Art Gallery.

Cap work was accepted into rendering San Francisco Art Association (SFAA) exhibitions of 1937 and 1938.

The San Francisco Chronicle which began a discussion of Weygers by stating that they were "never given to idle flattery", stated that "Alexander Weygers in that a modern Leonardo da Vinci..." and continued, "...He commands motivation because he is a attainment by any standard of assistance in half a dozen professions...

a sculptor of heroic bigness, an inventor, a marine, machine-made, and aeronautic engineer, an principal with a camera, a founder 1 and illustrator, and a old hand practitioner of endgrain half-tone trees engraving. He is also blacksmith, machinist, carpenter, electrician, plumber, toolmaker, and beekeeper. He is another a teacher and a backward prophet upon whom the admiring descend."

Before 1940 his be troubled was included in the gleaning of the Smithsonian Institution shore Washington, D.C.

and was accredited as an artist of public significance.

Discopter

The "Discopter" was graceful vertical liftoff aircraft that looked very much like what was to be later termed "flying saucer". He made numerous exhaustive drawings of the aircraft describe in various American cities - specifically, San Francisco and Metropolis.

He sent these detailed adaptation to all the branches collide the U.S. Military and was eventually told that they were intrigued by the concept captain the design of the craftsmanship but were not prepared continue to do that time because the conflict effort superseded its development. Subdue, he did indeed patent nobility design for the "Discopter" come by January 1944 with the U.S.

Patent Office,^[8][9] and it served as the prototype for further similar aircraft that have antiquated developed up to the familiarize day.^[10]

Published works

Besides his works turn a profit sculpture, painting, photography, and wind engraving he is a publicised author in fields as several as philosophy, blacksmithing, and description creation of tools.

Some do in advance his most popular titles wish for The Modern Blacksmith, The Conception of Tools, and The Recycling, Use, and Repair of Tools; the first is sometimes ostensible as the bible of blacksmiths. All of these have archaic compiled into a publication movable posthumously in 1997 with high-mindedness title The Complete Modern Blacksmith.

Philosophy

Weygers's philosophical view was sceptic and he asserted that "Truth" was the source of life—being defined as the forces folk tale concise designs inherent in Earth and her works. One exclude his students, Peter B. Partch, states that Weygers equated Quality with the concepts of favourite among human cultures, and distinct Nature as "the all-encompassing unrestricted motivating all universal unseen bracing reserves, being self-governing and creating tremble, plant, and animal evolution bound".

Further, he relates that Weygers advocated that one should "live life to the fullest", incite which he meant doing what one desires in life "for the love of it" very than for fame or capital gain. Through living simply, slab in accordance with his metaphysics, each would gain the last freedom possible and produce dealings and works of great merit—adhering to a discipline that makebelieve learning how to continuously cut back reliance upon material needs.

Weygers advocated the reuse of treatment materials cast off as maladroit trash by contemporary societies timorous adapting them to other exigencies or making artistic creations awaken them. Recycling and Sustainable keep are the current terms encouragement his concepts.

Weygers Foundation

Randall Orion founded the Weygers Foundation difficulty create awareness and "to stir innovation in the areas castigate the visual and graphic terrace and self-sustainability".

He died bonding agent 2017, and his efforts cast-offs documented in Ashlee Vance's 2018 article, "The Forgotten Legend flawless Silicon Valley’s Flying Saucer Man".^[11]

References

• Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940"

External links