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Polish Sculptor in America

Edmund Kasimierz Ast, my paternal grandfather, was born in Poland. He trained at a local university and completed many sculptural commissions from local wealthy families. Edmund designed and carved many graveside markers and family memorials. He also worked concurrently on artistic pieces of his own choosing. ( See “Marble and Stone – A Polish Sculptor" at HubPages.com/phdast7 )
In the photograph above my grandfather and his son, Marek Ast (later known as Frank C. Bergman who was a commercial artist), flank a carving of an eagle completed in America.

At Marble Mill Company Edmund was employed doing some of the same work that he had done while in Poland. Many middle and upper class Georgia families wanted more that a simple marker or headstone to commemorate and honor their loved ones. Often they wanted elaborate and beautiful designs rendered in marble or other stone. In this photograph Edmund is joined by his youngest son Justin Ast. All three of his sons worked part time at the marble company after school, although none of them ultimately pursued sculpture as a profession, they all tended to be artistic and creative in various ways.



Edmund became quite famous locally, Metropolitan Atlanta, in the 1950's and 1960's for his elegant "Praying Hands." They could be used in a religious setting, next to a Bible or family altar, for example, or they could be used as bookends. The ones you are looking at are made of unfired white clay. After the hands were fired, they were painted with glazes and fired again.
The "Praying Hands" were available in a number of colors - mahogany, burnt umber, copper, brassy golden-green, as well as a shiny reflctive black. My Aunt Krysha (Christyna) the fourth child and only daughter born to Edmund and Wanda Ast served as the model for the feminine and more diminutive hands. (first picture) I do not know whose hands served as the model for the masculine pair of hands. (second and third pictures)


The Christ figure was commissioned by one of the local Catholic cathedrals in Georgia. Unfortunately, I do not know which one. His wife Wanda, my grandmother, and a family friend assisted Edmund with the painstaking and tedious, but necessary final sand papering and smoothing of the statue's surface.


On numerous occasions Edmund was asked to sculpt a bust. Sometimes it was to honor a city father or philanthropist. Sometimes a man would commission a bust of his wife or one of his children. Edmund kept photographic copies of any carved sculptures he completed, like the head of the young boy pictured above.
Later in his career he began to create molds (of faces) and then cast them in bronze, copper or other metals. He often kept several trial runs of a bust and some of those are still in my family. Of course, the most flawless and perfect casting was the one presented to the family. In this particular case, all I have to document the young boy's head are several photographs which date from the early 1950's.






The marble Virgin Mary stood in the shade garden at the back of my grandfather's property for many many years. After my grandfather died, his oldest son - my father, Jacek Ast, carefully wrapped the statue and transfered her to a grove of fruit trees in his back yard. She was very old even then, beginning to show stains and age and there were pieces missing from the base, the pedestal upon which she stood.
She remained at my father's home until he died in December 2010 and my brothers thought she should come to my home for safe-keeping. Now she resides with me, but I think my home is a temporary resting place, for we have a cousin, the oldest daughter of Marek Ast, ( one of my father's younger brothers) who is a practicing Catholic and I think perhaps the Virgin Mary should go to her.
The pictures above were taken in 2011; they do not do justice to the statue.

In the 1960's both of my grandparents were often asked to exhibit their work, Wanda's paintings and batiks and Edmund's sculptures, at local museums, art galleries and even in banks. This picture is of my grandfather Edmund standing next to the statue of the Virgin Mary. I attended this showing and it was held in the Marietta Fine Art Gallery.

This is my uncle Marek Ast (who later became a well known commercial artist in Chicago) standing next to the statue in my grandfather's barn/sculpture studio shortly after it was completed. The photograph demonstrates the very light buff color of the original stone.
I do not know why the piece remained in the family. Perhaps the original diocese that commissioned it decided they did not want it. Perhaps this was one of Edmund's less-than-perfect trial runs and a second Mary is in a church garden somewhere. Perhaps one day I will find it.
- Marble and Stone - A Polish Sculptor - Edmund Ast
Edmund Ast, was born and raised in Poland, and obtained a university degree in art, specializing in sculpture and design. This was quite unusual for a young men in Poland in the 1920's. He was extremely talented and worked on many diverse designs in - Unique Painting Style - Iconoclastic Artist -Wanda M...
Wanda Maria Ast emigrated from Poland in 1951 and settled in Georgia. There she raised her four children. As soon as she felt she had a good command of the English language she began writing poetry. In her sixties and seventies she began painting in - Abstract and Representational Paintings - Wanda Ast,...
A selection of oil paintings completed in the 1960's and 1970's by a Polish-American artist who survived the Nazi, and then the Soviet, invasions of Poland during World War II, and who subsequently emigrated to America with her husband and four child - Why Aren't We All Creative and Talented? ~~~ Mayb...
I have been pondering creativity and thinking about the many, many people who don’t believe they are talented or creative. I have been aware for years that most of my college students do not describe themselves at creative or talented (even though... - Abstract Watercolor Paintings by Wanda Ast
This is a selection of abstract watercolors, all done by Wanda Ast in her fifties and sixties. Mrs. Ast experimented with a variety of watercolors and painting mediums as well as a variety of painting surfaces - canvas - paper - cloth - in an effort - Artistic Batiks - Wax Resist and Dye Process - Origi...
A collection of abstract wax-resist Batiks created in the 1980's and 1990's by Wanda Ast, an American citizen of Polish descent, who immigrated to the United States after World War II.
Comments
Hi Theresa!
What a wonderful visual testimony of your grandfather's gifts. I can't imagine the powerful feeling of creating something with my hands that remains after I'm gone. It must be an incredible joy to have articles that your family has touched with their own hands over the years. It would certainly fill my heart.
I'm envious of the talent handed down through your lineage. I am so grateful you are sharing. It's kind of our own private art exhibit. How cool is that?
You are a blessing to our community and we are fortunate you are open to sharing your family works of art!
May peace always walk with you!
Bruce
Creativity runs in your family big time, Teresa! It doesn't take an expert in sculpting to know the beauty of these photos of sculptures. So very enjoyable hearing the backstory of your family and viewing these wonders. Maybe fortunate with the one staying in the family, maybe eh.
You must have to be incredibly patient and focused to produce a work of the quality shown here....as well as having loads of natural talent...thanks for sharing :-))
Hi Theresa, and what a great hub this one is!
You have a great family heritage, which also shows in your meticulous and enlightened hubs.
Voted up and away
John
Dear Theresa, if I were you I would be also be so much proud of my family name! Talented people are rare. Thank you for sharing this with us!
You must be so proud. How lucky you were to be surrounded by such beauty. A beautiful career carried out to the max. The pictures show such talented and fine artwork. You just know these things were done by someone with great pride in his work.
Voted up, awesome, and interesting.
Hello dear Theresa. What a blessing to own such a familiararity with your own heritage. I know little of my own. Not only to know, but, to have remnants from your ancesters! Wow! Something about following a thread that completes us. All along the way and then; the cloth from which you come. Miss you. Miss being here. Be well my dear friend.
How beautiful! Thanks for sharing your grandfather's talent with us. He was so creative and his passion shows in the sculptures shown. What a fascinating background, Theresa. Creativity must run in your family!
Theresa, what a lovely family art heritage. So much talent in one family! No wonder you have such depths of talent!
The sculptures are beautiful. I love the hands and the way they can be arranged to be viewed from various vantage points, as well as used as stand-alone art or as bookends. Incredibly beautiful is the young boy's bust. The floral spray must surely have been an amazing marker for a gravesite.
I'm so happy to see you're back from your trip. I'm sure you're extra busy but look forward to reading all about it when you've time to write it! Hugs.
This is a truly fascinating and impressive family history! Your grandparents and their son were absolutely phenomenal sculptors. Thank you for sharing a truly impressive and honorable part of your family tree.
I commend you for being so obliging toward offering the important statue to your cousin.
What a wonderful talent. Thank you for sharing this man and his vision with us. I agree with Frank...the simplicity plus complexity is beautiful.
Blessings to you my friend,
bill
the designs are indeed creative in these sculptures. reminds me of that Polish American Sculptor who designed the Crazy Horse Memorial.. I forget his name hmm oh yeah! Ziolkwski ...some of the pieces there have that same purpose flaw in the design.. I love it's simplicity yet complexity.. I know it doesn't make sense.. but i get that feel you know something looking easy to do but really not.. did he raise money or given grants to help create.. I think the government was giving grants at that time to these artists.mm but thank you for the share PHDAST7
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