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David Hostetler Art

American, 1926-2015
David Hostetler was the creator of a series of captivating and original works in exotic wood and bronze that honor and celebrate the female form. Inspired by goddesses and celebrated women of historical significance, Hostetler has based his life’s work on capturing the spirit, romance, and earthiness of “woman.” Whether revealing the sensuousness of the female figure or rendering visible the beauty of the feminine mystique, Hostetler’s works are a pleasure to touch and visually captivating. For 67 years, David Hostetler’s reputation as a celebrated sculptor has grown exponentially. His works appear in over twenty-five museums , including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey, and the Decordova Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Hostetler’s pieces grace public collections throughout the world. “The Duo,” Hostetler’s most visible installation, was selected by Philip Johnson for the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City. The 13-foot outdoor sculpture, depicts two slender figures side by side, slightly touching, seemingly grown from the ground naturalistically. In 2012, The IKON a 13 foot bronze was commissioned by The Sheffield, at 87th Street between 8th and 9th Ave. in NYC. Hostetler’s unique treatment of the feminine form has earned him wide acclaim. Most of his “women” begin as single logs, which he carved by hand into sculpture. These woodcarvings occasionally take on an alternate life as bronzes, cast directly from their wood counterparts. In the 1960s Hostetler rose to national prominence with his “American Woman” series of sculptures. Hostetler’s Amish heritage initiated the series, in that he carved folk images from Ohio’s indigenous trees (elm, white oak, walnut, maple). As the series evolved into more slender, stylized figures, Hostetler also transitioned into exotic woods to compliment his vision (purple heart, ziricote, and pink ivory). Celebrated photographer Yousuf Karsh captured Hostetler with his sculpture in a series of photographs. Born in Beach City, Ohio , David Hostetler’s Amish grandfather profoundly influenced him both personally and artistically. After serving proudly in World War II, Hostetler went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts in education from Indiana University, and his Masters of Fine Arts at Ohio University. For thirty-eight years Hostetler served Ohio University as a teacher and mentor, for which he achieved Professor Emeritus. He was a guest teacher throughout the United States and Mexico. His students include a number of accomplished artists, such as Jim Dine. Although Hostetler is renowned as a sculptor, his experience is diverse. He trained, as an engineer, worked as a farmer and salesman, owned his own commercial pottery company, and created an art commune, Art Park. Hostetler’s longtime appreciation of religions inspired his study of Judaism. A constant pursuit of intellectual growth and development of new skills resulted in learning to spin wool, build furniture, and create stained glass. Hostetler continued to study women’s history, shamanism, the history of jazz music, American craft, tools and folk art. The Last Dance, (2008) an EMMY award winning documentary video captures his spirit and art making.
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Woman, Black, Abstract, Twist, Dance, Gown, Art Deco, Garden, By Commission
Woman, Black, Abstract, Twist, Dance, Gown, Art Deco, Garden, By Commission

Woman, Black, Abstract, Twist, Dance, Gown, Art Deco, Garden, By Commission

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

Summertime Lady can be commissioned. You can have it with the black finish or painted Ferrari Red. I've cast it in a pale green patina for a pool in Bermuda. Outstanding focal point ...

Category

Early 2000s Art Deco David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

David Hostetler Female  Figurative Sculpture BMW Car Paint Art Deco Commission
David Hostetler Female  Figurative Sculpture BMW Car Paint Art Deco Commission

David Hostetler Female Figurative Sculpture BMW Car Paint Art Deco Commission

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

By Commission. Casting and custom paint will take approximately 4 months. I have to get in line with my paint expert. Cape Lady is a polished bronze casting painted with Glasurit, a hand sprayed car paint. It is BMW white and BMW black. It is a limited edition of 15 with 2 artist proofs. The current edition available would be 6/15. It was cast from an original wood carving by David Hostetler...

Category

2010s Art Deco David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

David Hostetler Dancer Gold Shiny Flowing Female Woman Figure By Commission
David Hostetler Dancer Gold Shiny Flowing Female Woman Figure By Commission

David Hostetler Dancer Gold Shiny Flowing Female Woman Figure By Commission

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

Now available by commission. Dancing Lady in polished bronze is sealed with Glasurit- it never needs to be polished. She is cast from a wood carving of Dancing Lady- an iconic Hostet...

Category

1980s Contemporary David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

David Hostetler, Gold, Deco, Full Figure, Polished Bronze, Dancing, Female
David Hostetler, Gold, Deco, Full Figure, Polished Bronze, Dancing, Female

David Hostetler, Gold, Deco, Full Figure, Polished Bronze, Dancing, Female

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

David Hostetler's iconic female form. The polished bronze surface is sealed with Glasurit- a car finish, so it never needs to be polished. It is edition number 2/12. He has a dramat...

Category

1990s Contemporary David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

David Hostetler Wood Female Figurative Sculpture Beige Anasazi Petroglyph
David Hostetler Wood Female Figurative Sculpture Beige Anasazi Petroglyph

David Hostetler Wood Female Figurative Sculpture Beige Anasazi Petroglyph

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

David was tackling the surface on this sculpture- he first tried it rough with deep gouges. No, back to what he did with the maquette- Guardian II. He carved and sanded and the bold ...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract David Hostetler Art

Materials

Wood

David Hostetler Sculpture  Polished Bronze Female Art Deco Modern By Commission
David Hostetler Sculpture  Polished Bronze Female Art Deco Modern By Commission

David Hostetler Sculpture Polished Bronze Female Art Deco Modern By Commission

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

I have ordered a Sensuous Woman. It will be ready to paint mid- November I can leave it all polished or paint it with a BMW white dress or a Ferrari red dress using the car paint Galsurit. Sensuous Woman as pictured is a polished bronze. It is sealed with automotive finish, so it never needs to be polished. The base is black marble, 2"h x 6"d. Sculpture is 20"h. The dynamic sculpture...

Category

1980s Art Deco David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

David Hostetler, Bather, Gold, Shiny, Torso, Bikini, Female, Polished Bronze
David Hostetler, Bather, Gold, Shiny, Torso, Bikini, Female, Polished Bronze

David Hostetler, Bather, Gold, Shiny, Torso, Bikini, Female, Polished Bronze

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

David Hostetler carved the wood original for this bronze casting in 1960. He used an exotic wood board he obtained at the Brooklyn Naval Yard. You only notice the narrowness of the o...

Category

1990s Contemporary David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

David Hostetler Bronze Dancer Ferrari Red Automotive Paint Female Movement
David Hostetler Bronze Dancer Ferrari Red Automotive Paint Female Movement

David Hostetler Bronze Dancer Ferrari Red Automotive Paint Female Movement

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

Dancing Lady is an iconic form of David Hostetler's. His first Dancing Lady was carved in white oak and painted in 1979. It wasn't until the early 1990's that David revisited this fo...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

Zebrawood Torso Beige Totemic Classical Woodgrain Exotic Rare
Zebrawood Torso Beige Totemic Classical Woodgrain Exotic Rare

Zebrawood Torso Beige Totemic Classical Woodgrain Exotic Rare

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

20th Century Goddess is carved zebrawood on a black painted base 4"h x 6"diameter with a total height of 28 inches. She is a part of a series of this torso form with the tallest bein...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract David Hostetler Art

Materials

Wood

David Hostetler Colorful Group Figurative People Anasazi Indian American
David Hostetler Colorful Group Figurative People Anasazi Indian American

David Hostetler Colorful Group Figurative People Anasazi Indian American

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

David was inspired by the Anasazi petroglyphs with these shapes of the figures in this painting. It is an oil painting on Masonite. The frame is black wood- a shadow box concept. The...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Hostetler Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

David Hostetler Sculpture Bust Female Polished Bronze Art Deco Commission Only
David Hostetler Sculpture Bust Female Polished Bronze Art Deco Commission Only

David Hostetler Sculpture Bust Female Polished Bronze Art Deco Commission Only

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

This bronze bust can be commissioned. It will take approximately 3 months to cast. The marble base can be ordered in white or black. Sensuous Woman Maquette is a highly polished bronze casting sealed with automotive clear coat-Glasurit. It never needs to be polished. It is the bust of...

Category

2010s Art Deco David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

David Hostetler, Black, Female, White Face, Dancer, Mask
David Hostetler, Black, Female, White Face, Dancer, Mask

David Hostetler, Black, Female, White Face, Dancer, Mask

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

David Hostetler continued to mine dance imagery in his sculpture career. This is a strong, dynamic change in his forms. He is breaking away from crossing the arms in front to this fr...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary David Hostetler Art

Materials

Oil

David Hostetler, Jazz Club, Horn Player, Dark, Outdoor Jazz, Music Playing

David Hostetler, Jazz Club, Horn Player, Dark, Outdoor Jazz, Music Playing

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

David Hostetler had his own jazz club attached to his art studio in Athens, OH. It was called Club Dave. His jazz club played almost every Friday in the winter season while he was in...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Hostetler Art

Materials

Oil

Green Cape Lady
Green Cape Lady

Green Cape Lady

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

Green Cape Lady is a unique wood sculpture carved from elmwood from Hostetler's farm in Athens, OH. He used aniline dyes to "paint" on the hair and dress. He only carved one sculptur...

Category

1960s Folk Art David Hostetler Art

Materials

Wood

David Hostetler Carved Nickle Sculpture Silver Modern Female Bust 1980s
David Hostetler Carved Nickle Sculpture Silver Modern Female Bust 1980s

David Hostetler Carved Nickle Sculpture Silver Modern Female Bust 1980s

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

Bust of Quiet Woman is cast nickel. The surface was then re-carved to accent each of the original marks in the wood. This is the only Hostetler sculpture ever cast in nickel and the ...

Category

1980s Abstract David Hostetler Art

Materials

Metal

Double Figure Sculpture Blue Cobalt Couple By Commission Romantic NYC
Double Figure Sculpture Blue Cobalt Couple By Commission Romantic NYC

Double Figure Sculpture Blue Cobalt Couple By Commission Romantic NYC

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

The Duo is a total height of 26.5 inches on a black marble base 2 inches tall by 8 inches wide and 8 inched deep. Bonded at the top of the two forms, it is gender free, though most s...

Category

2010s Abstract David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

David Hostetler Torso Sculpture Bronze Nude Mid Century Figurative Brown Ancient
David Hostetler Torso Sculpture Bronze Nude Mid Century Figurative Brown Ancient

David Hostetler Torso Sculpture Bronze Nude Mid Century Figurative Brown Ancient

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

David Hostetler created this form originally in ceramic in 1948. He used the mold in the 1980's to cast a bronze. It has a green marble base that measures 2"h x 5.5"w x 4"d. The sculptures David created at the beginning of his career in the late 1940's and 1950's were abstract and in stone and ceramic. He was inspired by Henry Moore, Archipenko, Modigliani and Ancient Greek statues...

Category

1980s Post-War David Hostetler Art

Materials

Bronze

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Previously Available Items
David Hostetler Polished Bronze Female Form Bust Feminine Shiny Gold Egyptian
David Hostetler Polished Bronze Female Form Bust Feminine Shiny Gold Egyptian

David Hostetler Polished Bronze Female Form Bust Feminine Shiny Gold Egyptian

By David Hostetler

Located in Nantucket, MA

This polished bronze bust is sealed with Glasurit- a car finish that is baked on. It prevents the sculpture from tarnishing or yellowing. All you need to do is dust with a soft cloth. This bust is from a full figure wood sculpture...

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1970s Modern David Hostetler Art

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Bronze

David Hostetler art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic David Hostetler art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by David Hostetler in metal, bronze, wood and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large David Hostetler art, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are available. David Hostetler art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $700 and tops out at $115,000, while the average work can sell for $14,500.