Older Children

Older Children
Silhouette of sculpture
Beverly Pepper
American, born 1924
Harmonious Triad
1982-1983
PDF icon oc_pepper.pdf

 

 

 

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