H.C. Westermann

The irony and antic sense of humor that animate the work of H. C. Westermann (1922-1981) and make it so accessible are evident on every page of this volume, the first comprehensive study of the artist in over 20 years. Published to accompany a major traveling exhibition of Westermann's sculpture, the book looks at how defining themes central to 20th-century America -- the horror and disillusionment of war, the mythology of the American utopia, and Hollywood and mass media -- shaped his thought and his art.Magnificent color illustrations accompany essays by Robert Storr, who evaluates Westermann in the context of 20th-century art; Lynne Warren, who looks at his years in Chicago in the 1950s; Dennis Adrian, a longtime friend, who surveys the artist's entire oeuvre; and Michael Rooks, who examines his most elaborate achievement, the house and studio in Connecticut that the artist designed and built by hand from 1969 to 1981.