Adolescents

Adolescents
Silhouette of sculpture
Beverly Pepper
American, born 1924
Harmonious Triad
1982-83
PDF icon a_pepper.pdf

 

 

 

Subject: Harmony and unity
Activity: Making a harmonious sculpture
Materials: Styrofoam, popsicle sticks or chopsticks
Harmony: Geometric Abstraction, symbolism, harmony

Introduction: 

Beverly Pepper was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924. Before becoming a sculptor she was a painter. She studied in France and Italy with master sculptors like Fernand Leger, Alexander Calder, and David Smith. Pepper was one of few female sculptors working in metal, and one of few sculptors to fabricate their own works (most artists had their large metal works made in factories). Beverly Pepper is interested in expressing timeless human experiences and emotions through geometric forms. This is a style called Geometric Abstraction. In Harmonious Triad, the artist created three columns that are alike but unique. By placing them in a row, these three similar objects create a composition that is interesting and varied while still having unity and balance as a whole.

Questions: 

What human experiences or emotions might Pepper be representing in this work? Why do you think so?

Does this piece resemble columns or totems? Where do we usually find columns or totems? What function do these forms usually represent?

How does the title influence our understanding of the work?

Activity: 

Using styrofoam as a base, insert popsicle sticks or chopsticks into the foam so they stand vertically. Experiment with arranging them so as to create a composition that utilizes visual harmony and unity. Try using equal numbers of vertical lines and repetition to achieve this.

Vocabulary: 

Geometric Abstraction -- a style of art that uses geometric shapes to create a composition that is not representational or realistic
Symbolism -- representing an idea or concept through images
Harmony -- having balanced or equal parts