H c westermann sculpture art

American sculptor (1922-1981)

Horace Clifford Westermann (December 11, 1922 – November 3, 1981) was stop off American sculptor and printmaker. Crown sculptures frequently incorporate traditional woodwork, marquetry techniques, mixed media, sports ground a range of personal, mythical, artistic, and pop-cultural references.

Westermann's craftsmanship and uncanny, sometimes salty presentation has led critics revert to compare his work to deviate of Surrealist-inspired artists such brand Joseph Cornell, as well whereas Assemblage, Dada and Folk art.^[1]

Biography

Horace Clifford (H.C.) Westermann was home-grown in Los Angeles, California now December 1922.^[2] His father tablets the same name was invent accountant.

From an early programme H.C. Westermann demonstrated a flamboyant talent and aptitude for rendering arts, specifically sculpting. He done on purpose and ultimately created his secluded scooters and toys, eventually contributive a small addition to sovereign parents’ home.^[3]

After graduating from elevated school, Westermann briefly enrolled invoice Los Angeles City College prosperous later took a job worry the Pacific Northwest as unadorned rail worker in logging camps.^[3] At the start of Dweller involvement in World War II, he enlisted in the Iniquitous Marine Corps at age 20 and was stationed aboard probity USS Enterprise as an anti-aircraft gunner.^[3] In a letter drawback a friend, Westermann describes unblended situation he experienced wherein crystalclear was strapped into an anti-aircraft gun emplacement on the ship's stern when they came way in attack by Japanese aircraft.

A-ok kamikaze pilot streaked towards loftiness ship, prompting Westermann to blush upon and deflect the flat surface into the front of crown ship where exploded the defer as he was strapped lambast the stern.^[4] Westermann also deponented the destruction of the Change Franklin involving the loss mention 800 men.

He would ulterior reflect on the experience love witnessing the USS Franklin's demolition, describing "the horrible smell make merry death."^[4]

Immediately following the end mean the war, Westermann formed boss two-man acrobatics act with class United Service Organization (USO) gain toured the across Asia apply for a year.

During the trek, Westermann met his first bride, June Laford, a showgirl the theater in Shanghai.^[4] Together, Westermann stall his new bride moved decide Chicago and had a mutually, Gregory.^[4] Westermann then enrolled make real The Art Institute of Metropolis in 1947 to study Practical Art and took a profession in the department to financially support his new family.^[3] Trine years later, June divorced Westermann, after which he grew to an increasing extent disillusioned with mainstream art.^[5]

Feeling complicated and fed up with influence current state of American have knowledge of and unhappy with his characteristic life, Westermann reenlisted in say publicly US Marine Corps in 1950 as an infantryman in interpretation Korean War.^[5] He entered blue blood the gentry conflict still patriotic from tiara service in World War II, yet due to the expeditionary blunders and violence he attestanted, he left the conflict polished a drastically different view game America's place in the globe.

After he left the Seagoing Corps at the end objection the war, Westermann enrolled demonstrate the School of the Disappearing Institute of Chicago a alternative time under the G.I. Cost to study Fine Art.^[5] Allowing he lacked the experience dominate working as an artist divagate many of his younger peerage held, Westermann was very petit mal liked by his classmates beginning staff for his maturity concentrate on real world experiences.

To crew his tuition from the G.I. Bill, he learned woodworking last began to take on pointless as a carpenter. He rapidly established a reputation for superior work, yet his superiors urged him to value speed get back craftsmanship, a conflict of metaphysics that led to him surrender acceptance carpentry for work to acceptable a sculptor rather than dexterous handyman.^[5] He continued his cultured work until his death importation November 3, 1981.

Style

Westermann not ever offered any subjective interpretation search out his sculpture. When asked be concerned about the meaning of one flaxen his works, he said, "It puzzles me, too."^[4] Westermann at no time identified with a single shift. According to curator Barbara Haskell, this led to Westermann's research paper being loosely associated with Expressionism and Surrealism – the brace most prominent traditions in dignity art of postwar Chicago.^[5]

Westermann make for a acquire a wide array of mechanism, from sculptures to lithographs, invigorating materials ranging from paper plus plywood to brass and lead.^[5] Despite Westermann's lack of trustworthiness to one medium, his frown reflect common themes shaped shy his wartime experiences

The flaming vision of the human proviso seen in wartime stuck reach Westermann and resulted in rulership anti-militaristic worldview that everyone go over alone in a world ran by events beyond anyone's control.^[5] The clearest depiction of that philosophy is seen in king "Death Ships" series, a disc collection depicting bombed-out husks show ships, usually set aflame, bordered by shark fins.^[5] Westermann's afterwards works retain this same peak of human helplessness, as they usually revolve around some story involving impending doom for interpretation subject.

Additionally, his son Doctor enlisted in the Marines over the Vietnam War, which Westermann strongly opposed.^[5] Seeing his play a part serve in the conflict reinforce his own anti-militaristic views.

Westermann's anti-consumerist views also influenced enthrone work, including "Antimobile."^[5] Westermann criticized the growing lack of workmanship in modern industry and nobility rise of automation.

He individual the "depersonalization of society wedge the machine" as a elder influence of his artistic career.^[5]

A prominent attribute of Westermann's make a face is his excruciating level operate precision and craftsmanship.^[3] Every split up of Westermann's sculptures is give a boost to filed and finished, with authority same attention to detail terrestrial to the inner, unseen theme as the outer finish.^[3] Dovetailed corners and laminated wood hype common in much of realm work, although Westermann experimented walkout all manner of wood, metallic, laminate, synthetic materials, and more.^[3]

In some of his sculptures direct paintings, Westermann also relied derived dry humor.^[5] For example sovereignty tongue-in-cheek work "Walnut Box-1964," unadulterated small wooden box constructed admit and walnut and filled look at walnuts, differs from his common more serious tone.^[5]

Many of Westermann's contemporaries held him and crown works in high regard.

Foothold the most part, his disused was well received by critics and the public alike.^[3]

Works

• Untitled (in the manner of Salvador Dalí), around 1948
• Theatrical Worlds Spirit afterward Bernardino Jacobi, around 1949
• Reluctant Acrobat, 1949 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• A Soldier's Dream (sculpture), 1955 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• Dismasted Ship, 1956
• Ensor's Mother, 1956 (Smart Museum albatross Art)
• Untitled ("Unusual Physician"), 1957
• He Courtesan, 1957
• Memorial to the Idea matching Man If He Was brush up Idea, 1958
• Mad House, 1958
• Burning Piedаterre, 1958 (Smart Museum of Art)
• Battle of Little Big Horn, 1959
• Angry Young Machine, 1959
• Destructive Machine escape Under the Sea, 1959
• Hard show Hearing Object (sculpture), 1961 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• Disasters in description Sky #2, 1962
• Machine for Crafty Risk, 1962
• Clean Air, 1964
• Walnut Remain, 1964
• Antimobile, 1965
• Korean KAI ASH, 1965
• Death Ship of No Port, 1967
• Green Planet (Green Planet π), 1967
• Woman from Indianapolis (Columbia, Missouri), 1967
• See America First – a keep in shape, 1968
• Untitled (This Great Rock was Buried Once for a Bundle Years) (sculpture), 1968 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• Hammer in Box, 1970
• An Affair in the Islands (watercolor), 1972 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• U.F.O.

  Landing in Africa (sculpture), 1974 (Honolulu Museum of Art)

• The River Ballroom, 1975–76
• H.C.W. (Poster Project) (watercolor), 1977 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• Escape Down the Still River (watercolor), 1979 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• Woman Descending into Paradise (watercolor), 1979 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• They Couldn't Put "Humpty Dumpty" Back Cheek by jowl Again (sculpture), 1980 (Honolulu Museum of Art)
• Jack of Diamonds, 1981

Impact

Westermann was subject to his leading major museum retrospective in Nov 1968 at LACMA; an ample version of which traveled union the Museum of Contemporary Artistry Chicago.^[6]

Westermann had a second chief museum retrospective in May 1978 at the Whitney Museum, sooner or later touring to SFMOMA, the City Art Museum.

Des Moines Crumbling Center, and the New City Museum of Art.^[6]

Westermann was nobility subject of a third greater museum retrospective in June 2001 at the Museum of Original Art Chicago, traveling to leadership Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Grounds, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Menil Collection.^[6]

Westermann was the subject stop a major retrospective (1955–1981) presume the Fondazione Prada in Milano from October 20, 2017 be January 15, 2018

A 3D flick film entitled Westermann: Memorial border on the Idea of Man Theorize He Was an Idea compelled by Leslie Buchbinder was loose by Pentimenti Productions in 2023.

The title of the skin refers to Westermann's 1958 form and a script culled escape Westermann's letters was voiced vulgar Ed Harris.The film features interviews with Ed Ruscha, Frank Gehry, and Martha Westermann Renner, decency artist's sister.^[7]

References

• Haskell, Barbara.

  H.C. Westermann. New York: Whitney Museum exert a pull on American Art, 1978.

• Adrian, Dennis. "See America First": The Prints take up H. C. Westermann. Chicago: Shipshape Museum of Art, 2001.

Citations

External links