H. C. Westermann - Anchor Clanker - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 030028201X ISBN 13: 9780300282016

Publisher: Art Institute of Chicago, 2025

Synopsis

A new consideration of the playful and unsettling sculptures of H. C. Westermann, guiding figure of American conceptualism and craft   An acrobat, carpenter, railroad repairman, and two-time naval war veteran, sculptor H. C. Westermann (1922–1981) rose to prominence in Chicago in the 1950s with new forms inspired by his personal experiences. This overdue reassessment of an understudied artist includes stunning new photographs of Westermann’s intricate and exceptionally crafted sculptures throughout his career. New essays by Giampaolo Bianconi and Thea Liberty Nichols explore his nonconformist attitudes about masculinity and his intense response to the horrors of war—a recurring theme in Westermann’s sculpture following his return from service in the Korean War—as well as his experiments with wordplay, connection to conceptualism, and astonishing contributions to American art. An interview with artist Ed Ruscha, who knew and admired Westermann and his attention to craft, gives context to Westermann’s complex role as an unpretentious father figure to American conceptual and pop artists.   Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago   Exhibition Schedule:   Art Institute of Chicago (May 2025–May 2026)

About this title

About the Author

Giampaolo Bianconi is associate curator of modern and contemporary art at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Edition details

• Publisher: Art Institute of Chicago
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 030028201X
• ISBN 13: 9780300282016
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 176
• Editor: Giampaolo Bianconi