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American Made

by Robyn Farrell Roulo

Your Pal, Cliff: Selections from the H. C. Westermann Study Collection

Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago

5550 S. Greenwood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637

April 2, 2009 - September 6, 2009

"Your Pal Cliff: Selections from the H.C. Westermann Study Collection" is a visual journey into the world of Chicago artist Horace Clifford Westermann (1922-1981). On view at the University of Chicago's Smart Museum through September 6, 2009, the retrospective is a blend of art and objects that celebrate the life and work of this often under-recognized artist. Westermann's absurd and off-color creations are joined by preliminary drawings, prints, sketchbooks, and personal writings that give insight behind his thought and process. This comprehensive collection is the result of a generous gift from the estate of Westermann's second wife, Joanna Beall, and subsequent donations from various family members and friends of the Westermanns.

Curators Rachel Furnari and Michael Tymkiw, took careful consideration in their choices for this exhibition. The nearly fifty works are organized by theme highlighting Westermann's renowned skill, while exploring themes that plagued the artist throughout his career. Although it is difficult to place Westermann into an exact category or movement of art history, it is hard to deny that he represents all things American. His life is divided into sections: war, love and craft. His art reflects these periods with a vibrant and self-reflexive view threaded with political opinion and elements of pop culture. Issues of war, love, the joyful, and the morbid concerned many Americans during the 20^th century. A stroll through the Richard and Mary L. Gray Gallery for Special Exhibitions is a lesson on the history of this artist as well as our country: the struggles and the happiness, the successes and the mistakes. H.C. Westermann is like every American, he's "Your Pal Cliff".

Horace Clifford Westermann was born in Los Angeles, California in December 1922. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp. during World War II and later, a tour with the United Service Organization. In 1947, Westermann claimed Chicago as his home after moving here to pursue studies at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was here that Westermann later met and married the love of his life, second wife (and artist), Joanna Beall. In 1950 Westermann re-enlisted to serve in the Korean War, and once again left for a tour of duty. The couple eventually moved to Connecticut after a brief one year residency in San Francisco. Westermann devoted the next thirty years to his craft, working meticulously with drawing, prints and sculpture. He gained national recognition in 1968 when The Los Angeles County Museum of Art held the first retrospective for the artist. Ten years later a second show was held at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and most recently in 2001 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Themes from his past are evident in his work, art gave the troubled artist a cathartic outlet for his internal struggle.

Horace Clifford (H. C.) Westermann, Letter to Ruth Marchant, 1979, pen and ink drawing. Image courtesy of Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, The H. C. Westermann Study Collection.

Upon entrance to the exhibition visitors are greeted by a bronzed gentleman, dressed in a suit, clean-shaven with top hat and tails. Seen above, Untitled (Brass HCW personage),1979, is central to the exhibition showcasing the engineering genius and clever wit of the artist. The man embodied by the brass sculpture serves as Westermann's alter ego, a motif often seen in his work. This dapper character pops up in many of the prints and drawings in "Your Pal Cliff". Westermann saw this gent as himself and placed him in many compromising situations so that he reflects a form of sophisticated danger. The duality of this "alter-ego" allows the artist to dabble as a double agent. He has created someone that defies logic in fantastical landscapes, a vehicle for escape , and someone to conquer dormant fears and conflicts. Of the many qualities of this superhero, nothing is mentioned of his uncanny resemblance to another venerable character with a top hat, Abraham Lincoln. Now the plot thickens. You re-examine these death-defying scenes now led by one of the most beloved American Presidents. The rebellious nature of this persona matches that of the trailblazing leader of the Emancipation. The mechanics of this work have equal importance to the meaning behind it. Notes and drawings for this sculpture are available to view, generously donated by Martha Westermann Renner. Measurements, anecdotes and engineering details are included in a personal note from Westermann to Ruthie Marchant with wishes of a happy new year. The combination of Untitled (Brass HCW personage) and the letters to Ms. Marchant demonstrate the duality of this exhibition. This unique opportunity presents both mind and matter, giving a highly personal perspective to the work presented.

Horace Clifford (H. C.) Westermann, Study for the Connecticut Ballroom: Dance of Death , 1975, pen, ink and watercolor on wove paper. Image courtesy of Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, The H. C. Westermann Study Collection.

"Your Pal Cliff" provides a wide range of media that would otherwise go unseen by the public. The success of this comprehensive retrospective is a direct result of access to the Westermann Study Collection. An extensive grouping of prints and drawings from the study collection are cleverly integrated among the more recognizable sculptures and found objects. Including these works also gives a deeper view into the psyche of the artist. Study for the Connecticut Ballroom: Dance of Death, 1975 (above), is a mixed media drawing that shows a couple dancing in a moonlit landscape surrounded by murky water, nefarious black rats, and a looming ship. Westermann's self-reflexive quality is evident in this drawing that features his alter-ego dancing defiantly despite his seemingly morbid surroundings. Death Ship of No Port, 1967 (below) is a three color lithograph that brings Westermann's repressed feelings and views on war to the forefront of this work. A blood red ship with a black flag is lost at sea with no port. Here, Westermann's theme is not so subtle. The haunting imagery of this doomed ship represents the anxiety and fear he once experienced while at war.

Horace Clifford (H. C.) Westermann, Death Ship of No Port, 1967, three color lithograph (red, black, yellow). Image courtesy of Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, The H. C. Westermann Study Collection.

Anti-war sentiments, life influences and his love for wife Joanna are also touched on in Korea (below), a handmade sculpture given to Joanna in 1965. The carved cabinet is made of pine, glass, rope, and found objects. Many of the items inside the cabinet hold a symbolic meaning. A sailor's rope and antique scrimshaw that represent his time in the war are adjacent to a Victorian-style Valentine to Joanna, a token of their love for one another. The word Korea is inscribed down the front door of the cabinet acting as a monument to fellow Marines that fought alongside Westermann in the war. Burning House, 1958 (also below), another gift to Joanna, demonstrates Westermann's ability to play on themes of love and devotion with accents of dark humor and the absurd. This is one example of sculptures based on a house motif. This home, however, displays tin flames engulfing the front and side windows of the brightly painted dwelling. A chain built in the back, connects to a bell prompting a discussion about its purpose: alarm bell or wedding bell? Not your typical engagement gift, but the playful and satirical nature only proves the strong connection and relationship between the artist and his soon-to-be wife.

Horace Clifford (H. C.) Westermann, Korea, 1965, pine, glass, rope, brass and found objects. (Image courtesy of Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, The H. C. Westermann Study Collection).

Horace Clifford (H. C.) Westermann, Burning House, 1958, enameled pine, brass bell, tin, glass, and rope.. (Image courtesy of Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, The H. C. Westermann Study Collection).

Much like the Roger Brown Study Collection donated to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the importance of this assemblage of work is a valuable resource for the city. This exhibition's presentation of art and correspondence provides a deeper understanding of the man and his work. Westermann's style and approach has influenced a generation of artists that continue to push the envelope. From the Chicago Imagists to Bruce Nauman and Jeff Koons, Westermann's critique on contemporary culture through the bawdy and the surreal has set the standard for art that defies conventional thought. Although Westermann saw himself as an "outsider" to the art world, the body of work on display breaks down this conception and proves that his work is relevant and central to our world.

--Robyn Farrell Roulo

For more information about the H.C. Westermann Study Collection and the exhibition, please visit the Smart Museum's website at http://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/index.shtml.