H. C. Westermann was an American artist who lived and worked in Chicago from 1947 to 1961. He was known for his skill in woodworking and his sculptures that appeared to be uncanny and playful versions of ordinary objects. His sculptures were created using commercial materials and found objects, and he tackled recurring themes such as war, technology, and science fiction.
One of Westermann’s most iconic works is the Angry Young Machine, created in 1959. This piece was inspired by films based on the plays of John Osborne, who was a prominent member of the “Angry Young Men,” a group of antiestablishment English writers in the 1950s. The sculpture is made up of galvanized plumbing pipes and fixtures, a small skyscraper, a toy soldier guarding an ornamental bridge, and a pair of red lips. The lips were a reference to a local rug company called Magikist.
Interestingly, the only part of the sculpture that the photographer liked was the faucet with a bird on it. Despite this, Angry Young Machine remains one of Westermann’s most well-known works and is an excellent representation of his unique style and artistic themes.
Posted by Vicious Bits on 2010-03-10 18:51:13