Name:
Class:
Louise Berliawsky was born in Kiev, Russia in 1900.
When she was 5 her family moved to Maine, and
when she was 6 she started to become interested in
the scraps from her father’s lumberyard. Her father
believed in equal rights for women and supported
her artistic interests.
In 1920 Louise
married Charles
Nevelson, but later
struck out on her own
to pursue her artistic
ambitions. After working for a short time in
Europe, Louise eventually settled in New York.
For years Louise Nevelson was very poor and did
not get very much recognition for her artwork.
But, by the end of the 1950’s, she had developed
her signature style and was beginning to become
known as an important American sculptor.
Mirror Shadow XXIX was
Nevelson’s assemblage-style artwork is now
created in 1986.
recognized all over the world!
Cubism, African sculpture, Matisse, and Picasso
influenced Nevelson’s sculptural style. Nevelson
gathered wood scraps and assembled them as abstract
forms in wood boxes. While arranging shapes, she tried
to create a sense of balance in the overall work. To help
achieve unity, she painted the boxes a solid color,
usually black or white, and stacked them as
freestanding walls for display. Once, when asked about
her use of recycled materials, Nevelson said “I think what
people call by the word scavenger is really a
resurrection.”
What do you think she meant by this statement?
Dawn's Presence was constructed in
1972-75
Created by S. Wagner-Marx
The Project
You will use various scraps of wood to
create a sculpture in the style of Louise
Nevelson. Follow these guidelines for a
successful project:
1. Choose wood pieces of various
shapes and sizes. Think about how
geometric shapes will contrast with
organic shapes. You should also
think about choosing pieces for their
texture.
Rain Garden II was made
in 1977.
2. Assemble and layer your wood pieces on a
piece of masonite or plywood. Will your sculpture be a freestanding or a
low-relief sculpture? Arrange your items in a way that is visually
balanced and interesting. Think about whether you are using symmetry
or asymmetry. When you are
satisfied with the arrangement, begin
to glue down the pieces with wood
glue. Will you need clamps or
weights to keep pieces in place?
3. The next step will be to spray paint
your sculpture in a solid color. Think
about the mood you would like your
sculpture to invoke before choosing a
color. If you want to create a sad
environment, what color would you
choose? An energetic environment?
A depressed environment?
Sky Cathedral II was created in 1958.
4. Your last step is to choose an appropriate title for your sculpture. Think
about the mood and color of your artwork!
Assemblage: an artwork that uses 3-D found objects
Texture: how something feels
Geometric Shape: “man-made” shapes; usually have straight lines and corners
Low-Relief Sculpture: sculpture elements project from a background; not
freestanding
Abstract: no recognizable subject matter; also called non-representational
Balance: equally distributed details in an artwork
Unity: overall quality of wholeness in an artwork
Created by S. Wagner-Marx