Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6

Ralph Wickstrom
"Dancing Doll" Original Painted Steel Sculpture by: Ralph Wickstrom

1994

About the Item

"Dancing Doll" is a painted steel sculpture by Ralph Wickstrom created in 1994. One of Wickstrom's more representational pieces, though still considered abstract. Yet, at first glance, the viewer may not catch the whimsical dancing figure. Arms outstretched and hollow head with a triangle body, the sculpture resembles the stick figures so often seen on restroom signs, notebook margins, and juvenile art. Sculpture Dimensions: 39-1/2" x 43" x 20-1/2" Born in Sioux City, IA on August 23, 1925, Ralph Wickstrom was a collector turned artist who lived in Ripon, Wisconsin from 1961 to his death in 2019. After being discharged from the Navy Air Corp in 1946, he enrolled and earned his BA from Morningside College. After spending one year at the University of Denver he transferred to the University of Iowa and earned his Ph.D. in physical education in 1953. After teaching at 3 Midwestern universities he settled at Ripon College as a professor and became head of the P.E. Department and athletic director in 1961. His interest and involvement with art over a period of more than three decades eventually shifted from primarily collecting artwork, to producing his own. After retiring from his position as a Professor in 1990 he devoted most of his productive effort to making indoor and outdoor metal sculptures from scrap steel. Ralph found it challenging and deeply satisfying to give new life to scrap steel, or as sculptor Isamu Noguchi eloquently put it, to "reincarnate it as a creation." Universally appealing geometric forms and abstract shapes were the basic elements used in his compositions. Ralph Lee Wickstrom passed away on, December 13, 2019, at his home with his family by his side at the age of 94.
  • Creator:
    Ralph Wickstrom (American)
  • Creation Year:
    1994
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 39.5 in (100.33 cm)Width: 43 in (109.22 cm)Depth: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Minor paint loss and discoloration at base, consistent with natural wear.
  • Gallery Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 8830c1stDibs: LU605310694332
More From This SellerView All
  • "Random Thoughts, " Painted Steel signed by Ralph Wickstrom
    By Ralph Wickstrom
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "Random Thoughts" is a painted steel sculpture by Ralph Wickstrom. The sculpture consists of a circular form with a zig-zag piece within it and an additional off-shooting part on the...
    Category

    Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

  • "Melody in G" Original Painted Steel Sculpture by: Ralph Wickstrom
    By Ralph Wickstrom
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "Melody in G" is a painted steel sculpture by Ralph Wickstrom created in 2000. Wickstrom's portfolio is very diverse in form and shape, and yet this piece seems to stand out from the...
    Category

    Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

  • "Emerging Force" Original Painted Steel Sculpture by: Ralph Wickstrom
    By Ralph Wickstrom
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "Emerging Force" is a painted steel sculpture by Ralph Wickstrom created in 2000. From the front view, this sculpture appears to be simply a concave lens held up by a thin steel rod....
    Category

    Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

  • "Urban Scene" Original Painted Steel Sculpture by: Ralph Wickstrom
    By Ralph Wickstrom
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "Urban Scene" is a painted steel sculpture by Ralph Wickstrom created in 1997. Deceivingly thin the sculpture is made up of straight lines and right angles...
    Category

    1990s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

  • "To Each His Own" Original Painted Steel Sculpture by: Ralph Wickstrom
    By Ralph Wickstrom
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "To Each His Own" is a painted steel sculpture by Ralph Wickstrom, created in 2000. The sculpture is that of a tower with four levels, each level showcasing a unique set of shapes. T...
    Category

    Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

  • "Aproximacion al Vacio, " Steel Abstract Sculpture by Gerardo Wohlgemuth
    By Gerardo Wohlgemuth
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "Aproximacion al Vacio" is a steel sculpture by Gerardo Wohlgemuth. This abstract sculpture is in a rectangular form with a circular space cut into the center. 15 1/2" x 16 1/2" x ...
    Category

    Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

You May Also Like
  • LEBEN - Asymmetrical organic standing sculpture
    By ENNAIA
    Located in Weslaco, TX
    Life is often perceived as linear, a flat process with no return. Leben contradicts this belief and exposes the countless deviations that the path could take. This piece represents l...
    Category

    2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel, Stainless Steel

  • WHORL
    By Lyle London
    Located in Tempe, AZ
    This gorgeous solid Baltic Birch plywood sculpture suggests a complex vortex of energy. Contours are created using 60 individually cut plywood plates which show the contrasting edge grain...
    Category

    2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

  • "Red Rust Jacket, " Found Steel Sculpture, 2017
    By Gordon Chandler
    Located in Chicago, IL
    Upon discovering a weathered steel drum that had been warped to resemble the sleeve of a garment, artist Gordon Chandler was inspired to embark on a series of kimono sculptures forme...
    Category

    2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

  • "Josephine is a Hard Act to Follow", David Deming, Stainless Steel Sculpture,
    By David L. Deming
    Located in Dallas, TX
    David L. Deming’s world of lively canine sculptures captures the artist’s love for dogs and presents a whimsical look at four-legged behavior at its best. His extensive and unique collection of painted steel and lacquered steel dog sculptures are assembled using steel pipe, vintage hand tools, sheet metal, and other material that the artist has skillfully welded together, creating life-like depictions of memorable pets in rather human-like scenarios. In "Josephine is a Hard Act to Follow" the weenie dog is jumping through a ring of fire wearing a vest and swirling hat...
    Category

    1990s Abstract Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel

  • Untitled Steel Mesh 2012, Abstract Geometric Wall Sculpture by Jin-Sook So
    By Jin-Sook So
    Located in Wilton, CT
    Untitled Steel Mesh I 2012, Jin-Sook So, steel mesh, painted, electroplated silver and gold leaf, 31.5" x 52.75" x 6.25", 2012. This abstract geometric wall sculpture was done by fi...
    Category

    2010s Abstract Geometric Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Silver, Steel, Gold Leaf

  • The Afterparty (Octopus)
    By Dionisios Fragias
    Located in New York, NY
    Dionisios Fragias is a New York -based artist born on the Greek island of Kefalonia and raised in New York City. He is the protege of the artist Jeff Koons whose years-long mentorshi...
    Category

    2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Steel, Stainless Steel

Recently Viewed

View All