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Augusta Stylianou Gallery 
John Bernard Flannagan (1895–1942) American sculptor best known as being one of the first, along with Robert Laurent and William Zorach, direct carvers (also known as taille directe) in the United States. Early years Born in Fargo, North Dakota, on April 7, 1895, Flannagan's father died when he was only 5 years old and his mother, unable to support her family placed him in an orphanage. "Unrelenting poverty . . . was to plague him for the rest of his life." [1] Education A a youth he was recognized as possessing artistic talents and in 1914 he attended the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, where he studied painting. When the United States entered World War I in 1917 Flannagan quit school and joined the Merchant Marines, where he stayed until 1922 [2] After his return to America he was hired by painter Arthur B. Davies to work on Davies' farm. There Davis encouraged the young man to return to painting, which he did, also taking up wood carving. A year later, in 1922, Flannagan appeared in his first exhibition, along with Davis, Walt Kuhn, Charles Sheeler, William Glackens, and Charles and Maurice Prendergastt.[3] In 1927 Flannagan gave up painting and wood carving to concentrate on stone carving and in 1928 he producing some of the first American direct carved stone sculptures of note, two works entitled "Pelican" and " ." Mature years The years between 1930 and 1933 found Flannagan, now married, in Ireland. There he mastered the technique of carving stones that he scavenged from the Irish countryside into sculptures, typically small animals. He felt that "there exists an image within every rock" [4] and that his "aim is to produce a sculpture that hardly feels carved, but rather to have always been that way." [5] A mental breakdown and seven month incarceration in a mental institution, followed by a divorce did not lessen Flannagan's resolve to produce as much quality sculpture as was possible, but, in 1939, after being struck by a car and sustaining a severe closed head injury it became increasing difficult for him to function.[6] Last years Destitute, depressed and suffering from ill health Flannagan committed suicide on January 6, 1942. References 1. ^ Craven, Wayne, Sculpture in America, Thomas Y. Crowell Co, NY, NY 1968 p. 580
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