Seymour Lipton For Younger Children

Silhouette of sculpture

Catacombs

1968

Seymour Lipton

American, 1903–1986

Subject: Abstract Expressionism

Activity: Using geometric shapes to collage a figure

Materials: Colored paper, scissors, and tape or glue

Vocabulary: Abstract, representative, geometric, Abstract Expressionism

Introduction

Seymour Lipton was a dentist before he became an artist. He started off carving his sculptures out of wood, and later he used sheets of metal. Lipton heated sheets of metal so they could be bent and attached to one another. He used geometric shapes, like squares and circles, to make sculptures that represent people and feelings. When artists do this they are working in a style of art called Abstract Expressionism.

Questions

What shapes do you see in the sculptures?

Are there any shapes or colors that remind you of certain feelings or objects?

What do you think these sculptures represent?

If they had feelings or emotions, what do you think they would be about?

Activity

Using colored paper, help your child cut geometric shapes of different sizes and colors. Experiment by rearranging the shapes to make designs that look like people, familiar places, or represent a feeling.

Vocabulary

Shape - A basic element like a square, circle, or triangle that makes up a work of art

Layer - Arranging shapes so that they overlap and create new shapes