- City:
- Los Angeles, CA
- Site Type:
- Sculptures, Art Works
- New Deal Agencies:
- Federal Arts Project (FAP), Arts Programs
- Completed:
- 1936
- Artist:
- Djey el Djey
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Marked:
- Unknown
- Site Survival:
- Unknown
Description
This sculpture by Djey el Djey, entitled “The Vanquished Race” (or “The Vanishing Race”), was commissioned by the WPA’s Federal Arts Project (FAP) in 1936. It is located at Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Angeles, CA.
“Mr. Djey el Djey is an earnest young man, justly proud of this, his first real successful piece,” noted a 1937 article in the Los Angeles School Journal. “‘Vanquished Race’ was of such merit that it was featured as the cover picture of an issue of the no New York magazine Art Digest. It was also reproduced in the London ‘Studio’ line with the following statement by Load Taft, dean of American sculptors and author of ‘American Sculpture’: ‘I will venture to pronounce him (Djey el Djey) a master. To my mind “Vanquished Race” is worth all that has been spent by our government on sculptors.’ As the work is in composition stone, it can be reproduced repeatedly. The sculptor hopes that other copies of his work will be sought, since they may be had for the cost of materials” (Wells, p. 24).
Source notes
Contemporary photos at Public Art in Los Angeles
Wells, N. W. “Federal Art Project and the Schools.” Los Angeles School Journal XX, no. 29 (April 26, 1937): 17–25.
Site originally submitted by Shaina Potts on July 18, 2009.
Additional contributions by Natalie McDonald.
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O Moreno
I attended King Junior High back in the early 70s. The kids called this statue, “Chief Itchy Toe”. We didn’t know the history of the statue, no one in the faculty told anything about this. I’m glad its still there.
I went to King Junior High, too. I am amazed to see how magnificent the statue actually is. When, I was there, it was constantly being vandalized by rival junior high schools. I remember him being covered with green paint most of the time. They finally painted him more naturalistic colors but it was really ugly.