Joy Buba

Margret Joy Flinsch Buba (25 July 1904 — 11 February 1998) was an American sculptor and illustrator. Throughout her career, Buba created sculptures of American and European people including United States Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, Chancellor of Germany Konrad Adenauer and Pope Paul VI. Buba's works have been held in various locations including the National Portrait Gallery, National Statuary Hall and the Vatican Library. Outside of sculpting, Buba was an illustrator and primarily drew children's books illustrations for author Herbert Zim.

Joy Buba
Born	Margret Joy Flinsch July 25, 1904 Lloyd's Neck, New York
Died	February 11, 1998 (aged 93) Black Mountain, North Carolina
Known for	Sculpture
Notable work	Florence R. Sabin
Elected	National Sculpture Society

Early life and education

Buba was born on 25 July 1904 in Lloyd's Neck, New York. She began her sculpting career at the age of six and her art training when she was nine years old. After studying in the Greenwich Village of New York City, Buba went to the Städelschule and the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich in Germany for further education.[1][2]

Career

Buba initially started drawing artworks of animals before moving to human sculptures.[3] During Buba's career, multiple of her sculptures have been held at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. including Henry L. Stimson, Norman Thomas and Margaret Sanger.[4] In 1959, her statue of Florence R. Sabin was chosen as part of the National Statuary Hall.[5] Apart from the United States, Buba's European sculptures include German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Pope Paul VI, which is located at the Vatican Library.[6]

Outside of sculpture, Buba illustrated lecturers at the Naturmuseum Senckenberg as a teenager before resuming her work in New York.[7] Buba's first book illustrations were published in two editions of Proboscidea by Henry Fairfield Osborn in 1936 and 1942. After drawing for the adult fiction book Written in Sand by Josephine Young Case in 1945, Buba primarily illustrated children's books written by Herbert Zim throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including Goldfish, Rabbits, and Frogs and Toads. Her final children's book illustrations were in Elizabeth Vincent Foster's 1970 book Lyrico: The Only Horse of His Kind.[8]

Methodology

Through her sculptures, Buba's primary objective was to focus on "the quintessence of the person".[9] To fulfill her goal, Buba focused on the facial shadows that were presented during conversations with her live models.[1]

Awards and honors

Buba was a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society.[9]

Death

Buba died on 11 February 1998 in Black Mountain, North Carolina.[6]

References

1. Haulfer, Arline (3 March 1968). "Scultpress FInds Joy At Wakulla Springs". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 8B.
2. Jaques Cattell Press, ed. (1973). "Buba, Joy Flinsch". Who's Who in American Art. New York & London: Jaques Cattell Press/R.R. Bowker Company. p. 97. ISBN 0835206114.
3. "Monumental Head Of Dr. Riggs on View at Museum". Berkshire Evening Eagle. 12 December 1952. p. 11.
4. "Catalog of American Portraits". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
5. "Guide to State Statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection" (PDF). U.S. Capitol (CVC 17-117 Edition IV ed.). p. 8. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
6. "Paid Notice: Deaths BUBA, MARGRET JOY FLINSCH". New York Times. 8 March 1998. p. 1001045. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
7. Viguers, Ruth Hill; Dalphin, Marcia; Miller, Bertha Mahoney, eds. (1958). "Buba, Joy Flinsch". Illustrators of children's books 1946-1956. Boston: The Horn Book. p. 83.
8. Commire, Anne, ed. (1986). "BUBA, Joy Flinsch 1904-". Something about the Author. 44. Detroit: Gale Research Company. p. 56. ISBN 0810322544.
9. Heller, Jules; Heller, Nancy G., eds. (1995). "Buba, Joy Flinsch (1904-)". North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary. New York & London: Garland Publishing Inc. p. 95. ISBN 0824060490.