Jack of Diamonds

1981

H. C. Westermann
American, 1922-1981

Status: On View, Gallery 227
Department: Contemporary Art

Artist: H. C. Westermann
Title: Jack of Diamonds
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.: 1981
Medium: Galvanized wire lath, galvanized sheet metal, galvanized corner beading, oak, pine, vermillion, and brass
Dimensions: 202.6 × 93.4 × 60.1 cm (79 3/4 × 36 3/4 × 23 5/8 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of the Estate of Alan and Dorothy Press in acknowledgment of their family
Reference Number: 2023.2909

Kim Levin, “An Opinionated Survey of the Week’s Events, November 11-17” The Village Voice, Nov. 1, 1981, n.p. (ill.).
Alexandra Anderson, “Selected Gallery Previews” Portfolio 3, no. 6 (November-December 1981), 16 (ill.), 22.
Jonathan Crary, “H.C. Westermann” Flash Art, no. 105 (December 1981-January 1982), 55.
Neal Benezra, H. C. Westermann: Selections from the Alan and Dorothy Press Collection, exh. brochure (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1987), n.p. (ill.).
Sue Taylor, “Westermann Cages Wartime Demons” Chicago Sun Times, Apr. 2, 1987, 62 (ill.).
Richard Francis and Lynne Warren, Under Development: Dreaming the MCA’s Collection, exh. cat. (Chicago: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1994), 23, cat. 140.
Michael Klein, “Ingenious Simplicity: The Sculpture of H.C. Westermann” Sculpture 17, no. 5 (May-June 1998), 57.
Michael Rooks and Lynne Warren, eds., H. C. Westermann: Exhibition Catalogue and Catalogue Raisonné of Objects, exh. cat and cat. rais. (Chicago: Museum of Contemporary Art; New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2001), 41, 78, 168, pl. 115 (color ill.), 189, 195, 368 (ill.), 369, MCA cat. rais. 323.
Michael Rooks, Lynne Warren, Dennis Adrian, and Robert Storr, H.C. Westermann: Exhibition Catalogue, exh. cat. (Chicago: Museum of Contemporary Art: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2001), 41, 78, 168, pl. 115 (color ill.), 189, 195.
Museum of Contemporary Art, H.C. Westermann, exh. pamphlet (Chicago: Museum of Contemporary Art, 2001), n.p. (color ill.).
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, H.C. Westermann, exh. pamphlet (Los Angeles: Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 2002), n.p.
Dennis Adrian, Germano Celant, Martin Friedman, H. C. Westermann, exh. cat. (Milan: Fondazione Prada, 2017), 47, fig. 78 (color ill.).
Beatriz Velazquez and Manuel J. Borja-Villel, H. C. Westermann: Goin’ Home, exh. cat. (Madrid: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, 2019), 187 (color ill. detail), 194.
Giampaolo Bianconi, Thea Liberty Nichols, and Ed Ruscha, H. C. Westermann: Anchor Clanker, exh. cat. (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2025), 102, pl. 17, 103-105 (color ills.), 107, cat. 17.

New York, Xavier Fourcade, Inc., H. C. Westermann: New Sculpture and Watercolors 1978–1981, Oct. 28–Nov. 28, 1981, no cat.
Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, H. C. Westermann: Selections from the Alan and Dorothy Press Collection, Mar. 13–May 3, 1987, no cat. no.
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Under Development: Dreaming the MCA’s Collection, Apr. 30–Aug. 28, 1994, cat. 140.
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, H. C. Westermann, Jun 30–Sept. 23, 2001, cat. 323; Washington, D.C., Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Feb 14–May 12, 2002; Los Angeles, Museum of Contemporary Art, Jun. 9–Sept. 8, 2002; Houston, Menil Collection, Oct. 4, 2002–Jan. 5, 2003.
Milan, Fondazione Prada, H. C. Westermann, Oct. 20, 2017–Jan. 15, 2018, cat. 78.
Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, H. C. Westermann: Goin’ Home, Feb. 6–May 6, 2019, no cat. no.
The Art Institute of Chicago, H. C. Westermann: Anchor Clanker, May 17, 2025–May 17, 2026, cat. 17.

The artist; Xavier Fourcade, Inc., New York. Alan (1930-2021) and Dorothy Press (1933-2023), Chicago, by 1987 [Benezra 1987]; their estate; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, Aug. 29, 2023.

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