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Angry Young Machine

A work made of pine, plywood, galvanized iron pipe and fittings, faucet handle, cast-lead soldier, aluminum alkyd enamel, and wheels.
© Estate of H.C. Westermann / Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York

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  • A work made of pine, plywood, galvanized iron pipe and fittings, faucet handle, cast-lead soldier, aluminum alkyd enamel, and wheels.

Date:

1959

Artist:

H. C. Westermann
American, 1922-1981

About this artwork

H. C. Westermann, who lived and worked in Chicago between 1947 and 1961, was a skilled woodworker known for sculptures that masquerade as uncanny yet playful versions of vernacular objects. Utilizing assemblages of commercial materials and found objects, the artist’s technically sophisticated, influential sculptures address recurring themes such as war, technology, and science fiction. Angry Young Machine was created after the artist viewed films based on John Osborne’s plays; the author was an influential member of the “Angry Young Men,” an antiestablishment group of English writers in the 1950s. Galvanized plumbing pipes and fixtures, a small skyscraper, a tiny toy soldier guarding an ornamental bridge, and a pair of bright red lips that refer to the local rug company Magikist make up the body of this iconic work.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

H. C. Westermann

Title

Angry Young Machine

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1959

Medium

Pine, plywood, galvanized iron pipe and fittings, faucet handle, cast-lead soldier, aluminum alkyd enamel, and wheels

Dimensions

228 × 68.3 × 71.8 cm (89 1/2 × 26 7/8 × 28 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. Bergman

Reference Number

1975.132

Copyright

© Estate of H.C. Westermann / Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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