Tyler James Hoare (1940 – January 31, 2023) was an American designer, artist, and sculptor. He was known for his public art installations around the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Emeryville mudflats.
Tyler James Hoare | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1940 Joplin, Missouri, US |
| Died | January 31, 2023 |
| Alma mater | University of Kansas, 1963 |
| Years active | 1970s–2020s |
| Known for | Public art installations |
Early life and education
editHoare was born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1940. He first wanted to be an artist as a teenager, but felt it wasn't socially acceptable in his town. Instead, he focused on customizing cars, which would be a continued interest for him for decades.[1][2] After visiting Greenwich Village in 1959, he decided to enroll in the University of Kansas, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in drawing and painting in 1963.[3]
Art
editIn 1965, Hoare, his wife Kathy, and their infant daughter moved to Berkeley, California, where he worked as a restaurant designer.[4][3] He began installing his sculptures, many of them military biplanes, along the mudflats of the San Francisco Bay in the 1970s. The sculptures were made using driftwood and other debris, and were often installed on top of former pier posts, where they were visible from Interstate 80. Hoare embraced the ephemeral nature of his work, simply replacing or rebuilding when sculptures were damaged or stolen.[3][4]
His most famous sculpture was of the Red Baron and his biplane. A photograph of that work against the San Francisco skyline was used by KQED Channel 9 for their station identification.[3] Although most known for his planes, other subjects of his work included ships, UFOs, animals, and human figures.[1][4] He also showed his work at the Compound Gallery in Emeryville.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Raguso, Emilie (2014-05-29). "Decades on, the man who puts the Red Baron in the bay". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
- ^ Drake, Albert (2008-06-13). The Age of Hot Rods: Essays on Rods, Custom Cars and Their Drivers from the 1950s to Today. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3404-6.
- ^ a b c d e Eye, Rob Arias | E'ville (2023-08-21). "Remembering Tyler Hoare, the 'Red Baron' artist whose plane and ship sculptures added whimsy to the Bay". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
- ^ a b c Hartlaub, Peter (February 10, 2023). "'His gallery became the Bay': Emeryville mudflat 'Red Baron' artist dead at 82". San Francisco Chronicle.
Further reading
edit- Janse, Alejandra Marquez (February 17, 2023), "With fake paperwork and a roguish attitude, he made the San Francisco Bay his gallery", NPR