Classroom use

Arts & Activities, May, 2004 by Marjorie Cohee Manifold

THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT H.C. WESTERMANN

* Horace Clifford Westermann (1922-1981) was born in Los Angeles and grew up in West Hollywood, Calif., where an interest in art-making was fueled by the glamour of a burgeoning young film industry. As a child, he drew cartoons of Disney characters, made castings, and sculpted or constructed small objects. His grandfather and uncle, both expert woodworkers, inspired his interest in carpentry and appreciation for meticulous craftsmanship. At the age of 17, Westermann felt the need for a bedroom of his own, so he set to work building it for himself.

* Westermann's artistic aspirations were interrupted by war. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served on the U.S.S. Enterprise. From 1941-45, he saw action and participated heroically in several great sea battles. These battles, and later experiences serving with the infantry in Korea, exposed him to the horrors of war. After completing his military service, his need to express his sensibilities about life and death compelled him to pursue a formal art education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He graduated in 1963 with a highly developed sense of himself and his art.

* Westermann's early works demonstrated the bright colors and eccentric forms of the "Chicago Imaginist's" style. Yet, although he influenced the work of many of his contemporaries, his own unique creations did not fit neatly into any stylistic category. His works, which were based on autobiographical experiences, were expressions of a peculiar individualism, an ironic sense of humor, and a belief in the value of excellent craftsmanship. For these reasons, Westermann has been called a true "American Original."

* His impeccably crafted sculptural pieces combine traditional media and woodworking techniques with found objects and the processes of assemblage. Many incorporate marquetry or intricate laminations of exotic woods with decorative details fashioned from salvaged objects like buttons, toys, sheet metal, linoleum or other found materials.

At first glance, these works seem whimsical. However, closer examinations of them expose deep, complex meanings. Westermann's war experiences led him to believe that much of what happens in the world is beyond human control. Through his art, he approaches the mysterious and unpredictable dangers of the world with courage and humor. Unexpected juxtapositions of materials and ideas articulate life's outrageous paradoxes. His works show us exuberant freedom and despairing desolation locked in whirling embrace. Visual puns convey powerful, touching messages about the human condition.

THINGS TO DO IN SCHOOL Critical-Thinking Activities

* Consider what woodworking process(es) Westermann employed in the creation of Burning House. What found objects has he incorporated? How does the interaction of materials give visual appeal to the sculpture? How do these materials contribute to meaning?

* Make a list of the architectural elements presented in Burning House that might also suggest human characteristics. What metaphoric meanings do these suggest?

* H.C. Westermann has been called an "American Original." Make a list of those positive qualities that are often associated specifically to America and the American people (for example: hard-working, patriotic, having a sense of humor). Consider how Westermann, through his ideas and philosophical outlook, as exemplified by his artwork, expresses these distinctly American qualities.

* Some art critics have described Westermann's work as darkly pessimistic. He portrays the human condition as one of helplessness, suggesting that humans are unable to control their own fates. So, because struggle against the whims of nature is futile, humanity might as well laugh at the absurdities of existence. Yet, the consummate craftsman Westermann once said, "A man doesn't build something that's going to last a thousand years if he doesn't have hope or optimism."

* Discuss the juxtaposition of these disparate notions. In what way or ways might Westermann's work suggest a pessimistic point of view? How might careful craffsmanship present optimism about the future?

Research Activities

* Do an Internet search for examples of gingerbread-style houses of Victorian era. These houses were sometimes called "Painted Ladies." Why do you think they were called by that name? Identify elements of typical gingerbread houses that appear in Westermann's Burning House.

* Find examples of other house-like pieces made by Westermann. Some works to consider might include: Mad House, 1938; Memorial to the Idea of a Man if he was an Idea, 1958; Mysteriously Abandoned New Home, 1958; Mysterious Yellow Mausoleum, 1958; of Battle to the Death in the Ice House, 1971. Compare these works to Burning House. What construction, stylistic, symbolic, or interpretive characteristics do they share in common? How are they different?

* Imagine that all these houses were arranged on a street in sequence. How would you arrange them? Why would you put them in that particular order? What story might be told of the houses as a group?