H. C. Westermann: 8 cool facts

H. C. Westermann (Horace Clifford “Cliff” Westermann) (December 11, 1922 – November 3, 1981) was a extremely influential and important American sculptor and printmaker whose art constituted a scathing commentary on militarism and materialism. His sculptures frequently incorporated established carpentry and marquetry techniques. From the late 1950s until his death in 1981, Westermann worked behind a number of materials and formal devices to habitat a range of personal, literary, artistic, and pop-cultural references. The artist’s sculptural oeuvre is distinguished by its intricate craftsmanship, in which wood, metal, glass, and extra materials are laboriously hand-tooled, and by its capability to convey an offbeat, often humorous, individualistic sensibility.

Westermann’s sculptures song not unaided the disturb of craft traditions, but in addition to of varied art historical precedents. The artist’s talent to convey subtle and uncanny effects through the presentation of seemingly easy objects has often led critics to compare his accomplishment to that of Surrealist-inspired artists such as Joseph Cornell. However, Westermann’s acquit yourself encompasses elements from a expansive and diverse range of artistic practices, including Assemblage, Dada, and Folk Art. His sculptures, moreover, point to minimal and post-minimal art of the late 1960s and beyond, in terms of their rigorous craftsmanship, formal sophistication, unconventional use of materials, and suitability of humor.