One of the more amusing faces attached to the promotion of BLATZ Beer is the designer/sculptor Dick Wiken whose portrait does not otherwise feature on the WWW. I seek to remedy this showing him at work and also galvanised by a glass of the product. He was born in 1913 and died in 1985, operating out of Milwaukee (as the manufactuerers would expect) Apart from his rather grandiose work shown here (for Pump Room and for Hotel) he was, as a young artist, attached to the Milwaukee WPA Handicraft Unit (Dolls).as Supervisor in the Wood Department. Two Moulded Plastic Heads (Choristers) have appeared on the Brooklyn Flea Market Site. He seems to have been active in designing and crafting commercial displays - the Coke Bottle for Mold Craft for instance. I see from one query, that Anna is working on a biography of Dick Wiken, and I shall keep an eager watch, for ever remembering that cheeky smile brought to us by Blatz. There is a quality of rising yeast (appropriately) to the rise of his hair from his scalp. |