27: KENT ULLBERG (Born 1945) EXHIBITED BRONZE SCULPTURE

Kent Ullberg (Born 1945)
PULA (Late 20th Century)
The bronze casting in rich green black patina is signed within the bronze along the lower edge of the proper right side.



A certificate in the name of the consignor dated 1981 and signed by the artist confirms the edition as number 2 from only 7 total castings.


A full page color illustration of this bust portrait is found on page 61 of Kent Ullberg Moments in Nature by Todd Wilkinson. A copy of the book is included. In it, Ullberg is quoted as saying, PULA Means rain in Setswana. A cherished word in a desert country where rain is life. I tried to capture the rapture of smelling the rain, maybe the first drops touching the face.

This composition has been included in at least two public museum exhibitions of the artist's work. The exhibition 'Kent Ullberg: Celebrating the Wild and Wonderful' at the Art Museum of South Texas included monumental works and exhibits spanning five of the museum's galleries. Another was held at the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum where a press release about the exhibit in Southwest Art Magazine shared, 'One of Ullberg's favorite works in this exhibition is the bust of a young African man he made while he was in the Kalahari Desert collecting materials for a museum display. The piece is entitled PULA, which means rain. 'When the rains fail, people starve,' Ullberg says, explaining the emphasis the people place on the word. 'Even their currency is called a pula.' Ullberg did a quick sculptural sketch of the young man, who was his assistant. 'He is looking up, and the rain is falling on his face. It's just a head study,' he says.'


The lighted pedestal pictured with this sculpture is included.
Bust measures 15.5 x 8.5 x 7 and pedestal is 30.5 x 10.25 x 10.25 inches.
Very good condition throughout, no damage, repair or wear to any degree. The wood plinth has a very minor age separation.
Provenance: The estate of an Overland Park, Kansas collector, acquired directly form the artist.
$1,500 - $2,000