Westermann drew upon his considerable woodworking skills to create sculptures and prints featuring buildings that are eccentric in form and elusive in meaning.
Curricular Connections: Creative Writing; Mathmatics: Proportion; Art.
War
Westermann's art was profoundly influenced by his wartime experiences; from the haunting memories he developed his Death Ship motif, a recurrent theme throughout his work.
Curricular Connections: Social Science: History/World War II; Literature; Art.
Social & Political Commentary
With an eye turned towards society's inability to control its own fate in a world filled with tumultuous events, Westermann created works that emphasize humankind's plight on a global scale.
Curricular Connections: Mathematics: Ratios; Classical Mythology; Creative Writing; Art.
Technology & Science Fiction
Drawing upon the popularity of science fiction films, novels and comics of the 1950s, Westermann explored the potentials and the perils offered by technology.
Curricular Connections: Literature and Culture; Mathematics: Proportion; Science: Technology and Society; Art.
Travel & Transportation
Made in response to his own cross-country journeys, many works by Westermann refer to travel and to America’s preferred method of transportation in the 1960s—the automobile.
Curricular connections: Social Science: Geography & Exploration; Science: Environment; Art
Humor
Bringing together objects and images in unexpected ways, Westermann’s artworks conveyed humor by means of puns, paradoxes, and irony.
Curricular connections: Language Arts: Creative Writing/Literary Devices; Art