Horace Clifford (“Cliff”) Westermann (1922–81) is best known for his unique sculptures that combine popular culture and commercial media with traditional carpentry and marquetry techniques. Westermann’s keen interest in carpentry and drawing developed early on, as did his lively imagination. As a young boy in Los Angeles, he often designed and built toys such as carts, scooters, and airplanes. He was also exposed to beautiful handcrafted wooden boxes created by his grandfather and uncle. During his teenage years, when he felt the need for a bedroom of his own, Westermann built an addition onto his family’s home with scavenged lumber. He also submitted drawings of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the Disney Studios. Disney offered Westermann a job, only to rescind the offer once they discovered his young age.
Because Westermann wasn’t particularly strong as a child, his mother built him a trapeze and climbing set in the backyard. Thus began his fascination with acrobatics, which continued throughout his adult years with his development of a two-man hand-balancing act (Westermann was the top mounter in this act) and a penchant for walking on his hands. As one of his fellow artist friends commented, “At times it seemed that I got to see the soles of his shoes as much as I did of his face.” After attending college and working an assortment of logging, railroad, and sawmill jobs, Westermann enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in July 1942. During World War II he served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise in a combat zone, where he witnessed firsthand numerous kamikaze attacks, the sinking of several ships, and the deaths of hundreds of military personnel. (See Thematic link: War)
In 1947 Westermann arrived in Chicago, where he enrolled in advertising and design classes at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. After re-enlisting in the Marine Corps for a tour of duty in Korea in 1950, Westermann returned to Chicago, switched his focus to painting, and, to earn money, picked up some freelance carpentry jobs. It was in his role as a “handyman” that Westermann recalled and learned more about the woodworking techniques practiced by his grandfather and uncle. This inspired him to turn his attention to sculpture—an artistic medium that provided him with the perfect means to create his unique style. (See Looking at Sculpture)
Working in Chicago between 1955 and 1961, Westermann used an assortment of found objects and commercial materials in his artwork. Bicycle pedals, pile carpet, galvanized sheet metal, and linoleum are featured just as prominently as the more traditional sculptural materials bronze and exotic hardwoods. (See Craftsmanship & Process) By fusing together the modern process of assemblage and traditional sculpting techniques, Westermann created works of art with several recurring themes: war, social and political commentary, technology and science fiction, humor, and travel and transportation. The works convey these themes through a highly personal and symbolic language that often combines visual imagery with textual details and structures. Throughout his life he continued to touch upon these themes in a wealth of correspondence to family, friends, and art dealers. Taking the form of “letter-drawings,” these vivid expressions consist of both words and illustrations, providing insight into Westermann’s creative process. His interest in two-dimensional media on a more formal level resulted in the creation of a large number of prints between 1962 and 1977; these too touch upon many of the same themes expressed in his sculptures and letter-drawings. (See Looking at Printmaking)
In 1969, Westermann and his wife decided to settle in rural Connecticut. Thus began his most elaborate creation—a house and studio designed, crafted, and built almost entirely by hand. This twenty-year project reflects the same qualities and artistic philosophies favored by Westermann in his works of art—a variety of carefully selected woods, hand-carved bricks, and inlaid imagery and words. (See Mad House) Today, Westermann’s sculptures and prints continue to intrigue our curiosity and delight the imagination through their highly personal, ironic, and ambiguous imagery.
For more information on H. C. Westermann’s life and contemporary events in American history and culture, see the timeline.