Life in Bronze: Lawrence M. Ludtke, Sculptor

Texas Ties

57 In his beloved state of Texas, Ludtke’s reputation as a classical sculptor continued to spread, and he received numerous commissions from universities , hospitals, nonprofits, private entrepreneurs, and various organizations. In her book A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas, author Carol Morris Little writes that Ludtke was “one of the state’s best known portrait and figurative sculptors,” with his works appearing in cities such as Houston, San Antonio, College Station, Austin, San Marcos, Amarillo, San Angelo, and Sulphur Springs.1 From Houston’s Reliant Park to the state capitol grounds in Austin, Ludtke’s works pepper the Lone Star State. In 1995, Ludtke received a commission from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to create a bronze to be displayed in Carruth Plaza, located between the Reliant Astrodome and Reliant Stadium. Carruth Plaza has since become a western art sculpture garden, and it is where Ludtke’s bronze of a proud young woman stands. Entitled Yes!, the eight-foot figure of a young female in Wrangler® jeans and wearing a ponytail is punching the air with a first-place ribbon grasped in her hand. The young woman depicted has just been given the coveted award for her livestock entry, and Ludtke wanted to show the exuberance and joy she feels after meeting the challenge. She punches the sky as if to say, “Yes, I’ve done it!” Ludtke took numerous photographs of young exhibitors at the 1993 rodeo, and he saw that “whether they were riding or showing calves, they were all ultimately seeking the blue ribbon.” It is the first bronze of a woman in the collection, which includes eight other pieces, Texas Ties , 58 Yes! sculpture commissioned by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is the first female bronze in the western art sculpture garden at Carruth Plaza between Houston’s Reliant Stadium and the Astrodome complex. Courtesy of Jaroslav Vodehnal. Texas Ties 59 several by Houston artists.2 Other Houston landmarks also display his commissioned work, including two bas-relief panels of Jesse Jones and his nephew, John Jones, at Jones Hall and larger-than-life portrait busts of Albert Alkek and his wife at the Alkek Hospital wing of MD Anderson Cancer Center. Since 1998, visitors approaching the grounds of the state capitol in Austin from the north side encounter six life-size bronze children who appear to be making their way to the same historic pink-granite building. Ludtke was awarded the commission to create Tribute to Texas Children, which depicts six children on a field trip to the Texas capitol, each one reflecting the excitement and vibrancy of youth. Coordinated by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association and the Texas Association of Secondary Principals, this statewide project involved schools, classes, and individual children raising $190,000 for the sculpture, which was the first statue to be placed on the capitol’s grounds since 1951.3 Ludtke used child models that represented the ethnic diversity of Texas, and he later took great pride in watching youngsters run up to touch and hug the statues. Their reactions fulfilled his hope that the pieces would “show that statues don’t have to be stuffy but can celebrate youth and life.” Throughout his time as a sculptor, Ludtke did only commissioned work and showed little interest in entering the exhibit or show circuit, where many national sculptors feature their work. Therefore, he was not as well known among his peers as one would imagine given the quality of his work and reputation . However, a fellow sculptor, Paul Moore, remembered first seeing a Ludtke piece in Sculpture Review magazine. It was a photo of the Sam Houston sculpture at SeaWorld, and Moore was quite taken with it, particularly the cape. Moore ran the enlarging studio at Shidoni Foundry for a while before embarking on his own distinguished sculpting career, and he eventually got to know Ludtke pretty well through his work at the foundry. He described Ludtke as the ultimate “sculptor’s sculptor,” meaning he was the type of sculptor who was driven by his love of sculpting and doing quality work—rather than merely engaging in showmanship.4 For Ludtke, sculpting was not about money or recognition. It was about his love and passion for classical sculpture and the Old World techniques. All of these components came together when he created a portrait sculpture, and Moore believed that “there were...