Description:

Frank Fleming
American/Alabama, 1940-2018
"Hare and Dog Table"
patinated bronze
signed on lower leg of one dog, twig-form and figural base with glass top.

Note: Frank Fleming often attributed his becoming an artist to the hardships of growing up with a severe speech impediment. Struggling to form words, he stopped speaking in the first grade and did not resume until eleven years later, opting instead to use imagery as the main way of expressing himself. After years of intense speech and vocal therapy, he was able to attend Florence State University (now the University of North Alabama) but again felt himself to be an outsider.

At the time, Abstract Expressionism was the focus of most academic art programs, and Fleming's own views were at odds with his professors and peers over his need to ground his art in natural and figurative terms. Following his difficult days at university, he discovered the Funk Art Movement, and within it, the sculptures of Robert Arneson which introduced him to a new way of thinking and pointed him in the direction that eventually led to the formation of his own artistic voice. In contrast to the serious world of Abstract Expressionism, the Funk artists focused on absurdity and irony and the observation of these qualities in the natural world. Fleming took that spirit and combined it with his dark sense of humor and attention to detail and in so doing, created a uniquely surrealist way of looking at the world which prompted art critic Vanessa Gregory to describe his works as "whimsical and unnervingly Messianic." His imaginative creations are as inventive as they are meticulously rendered.

Ref.: Gregory, Vanessa. "The Fantastical World of Frank Fleming." Garden and Gun. Feb/Mar 2014. www.gardenandgun.com. Accessed Sept. 30, 2025; "In Memorandum: Frank Fleming." Birmingham Museum of Art. Mar. 25, 2018. artsbma.org. Accessed Sept. 30, 2025.

  • Dimensions: 24 x 48 1/4 x 26 1/2 in. (61 x 122.6 x 67.3 cm.)
  • Medium: patinated bronze
  • Condition: No signs of past restoration; overall very good condition; surface irregularities and patina are consistent with the hand of the artist.

Shipping Options

Invaluable Shipping

  • Expert Care packing and Shipping
  • Shipment Protection
  • Real-time tracking

Arrange your own

  • You will coordinate with us to arrange your own shipping

Local pickup

  • You will coordinate with us and arrange pick up time after payment.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

January 23, 2026 11:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

Neal Auction Company

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 $49,999 $5,000
$50,000 $99,999 $10,000
$100,000 + $20,000