Friday, May 20, 2011
LAMPS -WATERCOLORS - STATUES SIGNED KUPUR
If you have a Lamp, Watercolor (Gouache), Bookends or Statue signed Kupur, I believe I can give you it's origin. Artist/Sculptor Frederick Cooper opened a studio in Chicago in 1923 specializing in Watercolors and Statues. At some point thereafter, he began producing lamps made from the sculptures/statues he was creating. This aspect of the business eventually took over most of his operation. In 1945, Cooper retired and sold the business, which kept his namesake. It turns out that as recently as the 1990's, Frederick Cooper Studios still controlled the trademark name "Kupur". All of the works I have seen signed "Kupur" are similar is signature style and are on works from approximately the 1930's-1940's. It is of my opinion that once Cooper retired, the "Kupur" line and signatures eventually were phased out while the company went on to have some success in the lamp making industry over the next 60 years. If you have a piece signed "Kupur" I believe it to be from Frederick Cooper Studios and was either done by Cooper himself or an employee of the studio.
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3 comments:
Hello, I just saw this post. I have some Kupur watercolors and I lovethem. I have been unable to find much information. Thanks for the info!
Until or unless someone shows me a "-Kupur-" signature on a Frederick Cooper document then I won't believe this attribution. Reason is every piece of Kupur art out there is hand painted. Not a print. Art painted by hand and signed by hand. The same hand on everything. In the age of printing presses this defies logic.
That said, I do appreciate the efforts.
What I have on Kupur is:
Ruben Kupur was born in Russia in 1887. He emigrated to America in 1907. He was likely an itinerant artist who worked mostly around the Midwest. His painted works are typically found in pairs. I have a WPA-style painted set hanging in my living room that look decidedly Russian. He also did some sculptures (figures and lamps). His painted works are always signed "-Kupur-" in the same hand.
I did not mention Kupur signed works being prints in my article. They are original watercolors or acrylics or gouaches. I doubt that an Itinerant artist would have produced production style Watercolors, Bookends, Lamps and Statues in metal and chalkware. A close look at dozens of signed -KUPUR- pieces will show that not all the signatures are completely identical. There is variation. There is a mention in a 1940 Frederick Cooper produced brochure or catalog of them promoting their KUPUR brand product(s). Unfortunately, I don't know what is inside the brochure/catalog. I dont know where you got the information on Ruben Kuper, but, he is virtually an unlisted artist. I have seen a dozen signed Kuper art pieces and I don't see how such an artist could be unlisted, unless there was confusion as to who the artist was....in this case the fact that "KUPER" could have been a trademark/pseudonym for work done by Cooper. I think that finding an early Cooper catalog or article on him might help clear some things up. Also, any concrete information on Ruben Kuper.
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