Carole A. Feuerman
Carole A. Feuerman
Born	Carole Ackerman September 21, 1945 Hartford, Connecticut
Education	School of Visual Arts, Hofstra University, Temple University
Known for	sculpture, installation art, painting, drawing, video art
Movement	Hyperrealism Superrealism
Website	carolefeuerman.com

Carole A. Feuerman (born 1945) is an American sculptor and author renowned for her superrealist and hyperrealist art.^[1][2] She is recognized as one of the pioneering artists of the hyperrealist movement in the late 1970s and is best known for her figurative works of swimmers and dancers. Feuerman utilizes a variety of mediums including resin, marble, and bronze.^[3]

Feuerman’s works have been featured in institutions and exhibitions worldwide, including the Venice Biennale, Osthaus Museum, the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Rome, and the Medici Museum of Art. Some of her notable exhibitions include displays along Park Avenue, the Seaport, and Central Park in New York; Art d’Egypte in Cairo; the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.;^[4] and Palazzo Strozzi in Florence.^[1]

Feuerman’s works are included in the permanent collections of 34 museums and the cities of Sunnyvale, CA, and Peekskill, NY. Her work is included in the selected private collections; Steven A. Cohen, President Clinton, Dr. Henry Kissinger, and Malcolm Forbes.

In 2011, she founded the Carole A. Feuerman Sculpture Foundation. She has five full-color monographs and has written her autobiography.

Feuerman attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City,^[5] where she found work as an illustrator. She provided an illustration for The New York Times,^[6] and created album covers for Alice Cooper and the Rolling Stones.^[7] She made the cover image for the November 1975 issue of National Lampoon magazine.^[8]

In 1981, Feuerman was chosen by a jury at the Heckscher Museum on Long Island. She exhibited her works at Fordham University and was chosen to participate in the Learning through Arts Program conducted by the Guggenheim Museum.^[7]

In 1985, Feuerman's Mineola art studio was filmed in the movie Compromising Positions, produced and directed by Frank Perry, and starring Susan Sarandon and Judith Ivey, who played Feuerman as the artist. The movie was featured in the Long Island Journal for the NY Times.^[9]

In 1989, Feuerman began to work her first big marketing campaign with Absolut Vodka. Since Sweden did not allow the advertising of alcohol, Absolut Vodka's marketing plan was to push advertising in other areas of the world. Feuerman created life-sized figures within a glass display which were paraded in trucks on the streets of Los Angeles and Manhattan.^[10]

In 2000, the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Loretto, Pennsylvania held Feuerman’s second retrospective, “From Studio to Foundry: Three Decades of Sculpture by Carole A. Feuerman,” curated by Michael A. Tomor, PhD.^[11][12]

In 2004, Feuerman's sculpture Sunburn was featured in the traveling group exhibition “An American Odyssey, 1945/1980: Debating Modernism,” curated by Stephen C. Foster. The exhibition toured four venues: the Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Domus Artium, the Kiosco Alfonso in Spain, and the QCC Art Gallery at Queensborough Community College in New York. A hardcover catalog, also titled An American Odyssey, was published in conjunction with the exhibition, written by Stephen C. Foster and John Yau.^[13]

In 2007, Abrams Books for Young Readers published “A History of Western Art: From Prehistory to the Twentieth Century” which included Feuerman and her sculpture, Catalina. This book was written by Antony Mason and edited by John T. Spike. Feuerman had a solo show entitled “By the Sea” curated by John Spike, showcasing her monumental sculptures Survival of Serena and Grande Catalina. The show was exhibited during the 52nd International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia. She also exhibited in OPEN 2007, an international sculpture exhibition held on the island of Lido in Venice. She also had a solo exhibition “Lust and Desires: Erotic sculptures in resin and bronze” from 2007-2008, at Art-St-Urban in Lucerne, Switzerland. A catalog was made for the exhibition and was written by Stephan C. Foster and Peter Frank.^[13]

In 2008, Feuerman was commissioned by artist Seward Johnson and the Sculpture Foundation to create a painted bronze sculpture installation for the permanent collection of Grounds for Sculpture.^[14] Feuerman's Survival of Serena won first prize at the 2008 Beijing International Art Biennale (China). Her monumental sculpture created for the Olympics exhibition, Olympic Swimmer, was one of just 10 works chosen from hundreds of entries to represent the Beijing Olympics in the permanent collection of the newly established Beijing Olympic Museum.^[15][16] She also had a solo show at the Moretti Gallery in Florence. A book was published for her exhibition, “Carole A. Feuerman: La sculptura incontra la realta.”^[17] She had her fourth retrospective at the Archeological Museum in Fiesole, Italy, followed by the inclusion of her sculpture Moran in “Art and Illusion: Masterpieces of Trompe-l’oeil from Antiquity to the Present” at the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation.^[18] She later had her fifth retrospective “Silence-Passion-Expression” at the Amarillo Museum of Art in Texas, which the AISEI nominated for the best Monographic Exhibition.^[19]

In 2009, Feuerman was the featured artist in “46 XX”, at Moscow’s Na Solyanke State Gallery in Red Square, Russia.^[20]

In 2010, Feuerman’s sculpture, Monumental Shower, was exhibited in “Intimacy, Bathing in Art” at the Kunstmuseum Ahlen in Germany, accompanied by a Wienand Verlag publication.^[21] In the fall, Feuerman's sixth retrospective, entitled “Earth, Water, Air, Fire”, was at the El Paso Museum of Art. This exhibition showcased 52 works and premiered her video installations. Following its closure, her sculpture Summer was purchased for the museum’s permanent collection.^[13]

In commemoration of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Feuerman’s bronze sphere, New World – AM/PM, was featured in “Afterwards and Forward: A ten year 9/11 reflective art exhibition” at New Jersey City University.^[22] In May 2012, Feuerman unveiled her monumental sculpture Survival of Serena in painted bronze with New York City's Department of Parks and Recreation.^[23] Its resin sister debuted at the Venice Biennale in 2007. The new Survival of Serena is the first of a series of painted bronze sculptures by the artist designed specifically for outdoor placement. The bronze sculpture was installed in Petrosino Square through September before traveling to the Boca Raton Beach Resort in Florida.^[24] In 2012, Feuerman's Quan, a painted bronze sculpture of a woman balancing atop a ball of polished stainless steel, was featured at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Michigan as part of the group show "Body Double: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture."^[25] A 16-foot (4.9 m) bronze diver entitled The Golden Mean at Riverfront Green Park with Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Peekskill, New York was unveiled in September 2012.^[26]

In 2013, The City of Peekskill announced the acquisition of the sculpture as a permanent monument to the town. A second diver was created for her spring 2013 solo exhibition at Jim Kempner Fine Art also titled The Golden Mean, where it was on display in the outdoor sculpture garden through the summer and then moved to an 8-piece outdoor sculpture exhibition at Mana Contemporary in New Jersey. The monumental model used to create the bronze was installed at the 2013 Venice Biennale.^[27] Feuerman’s sculpture, General’s Daughter, was a finalist for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition hosted by the National Portrait Gallery in the Smithsonian Institute.^[28][29]

In May 2014, NetApp unveiled a new commission by Feuerman titled Double Diver, gifted to the City of Sunnyvale, California.^[30] The sculpture is 2½ tons of bronze and steel balancing on two 6-inch wrists.^[30]

In 2015, Feuerman had solo exhibitions in Florence,^[31] Frankfurt,^[32] Korea, New York, Miami, and Chicago. She was part of a group show "Love" at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art.^[33] Two of her sculptures, DurgaMa and Leda and the Swan, were included in the 2015 Venice Biennale at Palazzo Mora.^[34] Feuerman was invited to Harbour City to have a solo exhibition to display her sculptures in the Ocean Terminal Forecourt. This would mark Feuerman’s first solo art exhibition in Asia Pacific and the largest hyperrealist public art exhibition in Hong Kong.^[35]

Starting in 2016, Feuerman’s art is featured in the ongoing traveling group exhibition "Reshaped Reality: 50 Years of Hyperrealistic Sculpture." This exhibition showcases a selection of figurative sculptures by 24 international artists focusing on the hyperrealistic art style. The show has been exhibited at 14 museums worldwide and will continue to travel. Notable venues include the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao in Spain, the ARKEN Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan, and the Musée Maillol in France.^[36] Feuerman's solo exhibition, “Iconic Works,” was the first solo show at the newly opened Huan Tai Hu Museum in Changzhou, China.^[37] Feuerman's seventh retrospective “Body of Work” was held by the Museum of Art-Deland in Florida, directed by George S. Bolge.^[38]

In 2017, the Global Art Affairs Foundation organized a solo show honoring Feuerman entitled "Personal Structures – Open Borders," one of many exhibitions surrounding the Venice Biennale, where Feuerman has had a presence for decades.^[39] Bisol Prosecco hosted a solo exhibition of Feuerman’s sculptures at Venissa, a luxury hotel on the island of Burano, in Venice, Italy.^[40]

In the summer of 2018, Feuerman had a solo exhibition in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, as part of the 25th Edition of Sculpture Link. The exhibition featured eleven of her outdoor public works including the sculpture entitled The Midpoint.^[41][42] Feuerman designed a central piece for The Health Museum's exhibit "Body as a Work of Art: More Than Skin Deep." This installation is a polished, arched, stainless steel canopy. Standing in front of it, the viewer sees themself. It was donated by Carolyn Farb in memory of her late son.^[43] Feuerman's work has been showcased in "Swimmers: Recent Works by Carole Feuerman" at The Artist Book Foundation’s MASS MoCA museum, where her sculptures, paintings, and prints were featured in a solo show.^[44]

In 2019, Feuerman’s work was selected by the George V Committee to exhibit five sculptures in the "George V Monumental," an exhibition on Avenue George V in Paris, France.^[45] Her work was featured in "PERSONAL STRUCTURES: Identities" at the European Cultural Center in Venice, Italy, organized by the GAA Foundation.^[46]

In 2020, Feuerman had a solo exhibition at the Le Village Royal in Paris, France.^[47]

In 2021, Feuerman’s solo show “From La Biennale di Venezia & Open to Rome” opened at the Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Rome.^[48] Five of her monumentals were shown in the museum's garden, while two others, Strength and Fire & Harmony were exhibited at the Pincio Terrace.^[49] Feuerman's work was also included in a group show at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, Italy called “Corpus Domini: Dal Corpo Glorioso Alle Rovine Dell’Anima” exhibition. This exhibition was curated by Francesca Alfano Miglietti.^[50] In 2022, Feuerman’s solo exhibition, "Master of Hyperrealism: Carole A. Feuerman, My Stories," took place in the Chapel of the Church of the Pietà during the 59th La Biennale di Venezia.^[51] Feuerman's sculptures were also featured during the Venice Boat Show at the Arsenale of Venice.^[52] She held a solo exhibition titled "The Importance of Being Human" at the Medici Museum of Art in Howland Township, Ohio.^[53]

In 2023, the Patrons of Park Avenue (POPA) selected Feuerman for a solo show of nine of her monumental sculptures to be exhibited on Park Avenue, Murray Hill.^[54] The same year she had a comprehensive solo show called “Crossing the Sea,” the theme being immigration, at Foundation Made in Cloister, in Naples, Italy.^[55] In Fall 2023, she was one of eleven international artists chosen to exhibit at “Forever is Now” in Egypt. She created a sculpture for the exhibition called In The Likeness of the Goddess Hathor, which was installed in front of the Pyramids of Giza.^[56]

In 2024, Feuerman had a solo exhibition “Global Travelers, held at InParadiso in Giardini Della Biennale during this year’s 60th Biennale of Art in Venice, Italy. This exhibition showcased two sculptures, Tranquility and My Body, My Rules, to encapsulate the spirit of female empowerment.^[57] Five of Feuerman’s monumentals were relocated from Park Avenue to the Seaport for an eight-month exhibition.^[58] Feuerman’s monumental sculpture, The Diver, was selected by the Olympic Committee and the City of Paris to be exhibited on the same river in front of the Eiffel Tower for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.^[59]

• 
  Sunburn at the QCC Art Gallery at Queensborough Community College in New York 2004. Featured in An American Odyssey, 1945/1980: Debating Modernism.
• 
  In The Likeness of the Goddess Hathor during the “Forever is Now” exhibition in Egypt 2023

Carole Feuerman has five monographs published about her art career.

1. In 1999, her first monograph, Carole A. Feuerman: Sculpture was published by Hudson Hills Press. It was written by Eleanor Munro and Dena Merriam. This book showcased 118 full color photographs of Carole’s work ranging from her early erotic fragments to her full-scale sculptures.^[64]
2. Feuerman’s second monograph, Carole A. Feuerman: La Scultura Incontra la Realtà, was released in 2008. Published by Edizioni Polistampa, it was written in both English and Italian by Gabriele Caioni. This book was photographed by Alessandro Moggi and features Feuerman’s sand cast bronzes.^[65]
3. Carole A. Feuerman: Swimmers was Feuerman’s third monograph, released in 2016. Published by The Artist Book Foundation, and written by John Yao and John T. Spike, it focuses on her swimmer sculptures.^[66]
4. In 2020, Scheidegger and Spiess published Feuerman’s forth monograph, Carole A. Feuerman: Fifty Years of Looking Good. This book was written by John T. Spike and Claudia Moscovici and has 120 color plates spanning five decades of her career.^[67]
5. In 2024, Rizzoli published, Feuerman: Superrealist Sculptures, written by Demetrio Paparoni. This book is 350 pages and features Feuerman’s work starting with her erotic fragments in the 70s through 2024.^[68]

My Hyperrealist Life and Legacy, Feuerman’s autobiography was published in 2021 by Paramount Publisher.^[69]

• Official website