Duane Hanson

Duane Hanson (January 17, 1925 – January 6, 1996) is an American sculptor known for his life-sized photorealistic works of humans, cast in various materials, including polyester resin, fiberglass, even Bondo® (an automotive repair body filler). Later works, starting in the mid-1980s, were cast in bronze. Most of his sculptures are direct three-dimensional casts of his models, with the surface carefully painted in skin tones; he adds clothing, jewelry, and other props, lending to a trompe l'oeil or almost hyper-realistic effect.

Duane Hanson was born in Alexandria, Minnesota. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College in 1946 and his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1951.