Beverly Pepper For Older Children

Silhouette of sculpture

Harmonious Triad

1982-1983

Beverly Pepper

American, 1924-2020

Subject: Geometric abstraction

Activity: Making a drawing using vertical and horizontal lines

Materials: Paper, pencil, a ruler

Vocabulary: Geometric abstraction, horizontal, iron, vertical

Introduction

Beverly Pepper was born in Brooklyn, New York. She began her career making paintings, but eventually she became a sculptress. She studied with other sculptors in Paris, France, and then she moved to Italy. After sculpting in wood with carpentry tools, such as handsaws, she learned to sculpt in metal, which is very difficult work. Beverly Pepper’s style was geometric abstraction.

Questions

Do the columns make horizontal or vertical lines?

What do you think the title means?

What material was used to create this sculpture?

What mood do these lines convey?

Activity

Beverly Pepper used vertical lines to create this sculpture. Using a ruler, make an abstract drawing with lines that are both vertical and horizontal. Does your drawing look harmonious? Why or why not?

Vocabulary

Geometric abstraction – geometric shapes that are not realistic

Horizontal – positioned the same as the horizon and the opposite of vertical

Iron – a strong dark metal

Vertical – positioned upright, like a flagpole, and opposite of horizontal