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Manuscript by Seymour Lipton / American Art
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Manuscript

1960 Seymour Lipton Born: New York, New York 1903 Died: Glen Cove, New York 1986 iron/brazed with nickel-silver on limestone base 11 7/8 x 15 1/2 x 6 7/8 in. (30.2 x 39.3 x 17.5 cm.) Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of Mr. Seymour Lipton 1978.127.1 Smithsonian American Art Museum
4th Floor, Luce Foundation Center



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Manuscript



“The mood of Manuscript is that of the pages of man’s history . . . it is a visual unfurling of the world on which is seen the interplay of chance and law, of ugliness and beauty . . .” Seymour Lipton, New York Times, August 1965


Lipton’s work explored a range of ideas including heroism, beauty, sexual conflict, and the mystery of birth and death. Manuscript depicts the struggle between law and violence throughout history. The curved layers of iron symbolize the paper on which laws are written and displayed. Lipton disrupted the smooth surface of the “paper” with a tangled mass of jagged metal, evoking the effect of violence within the human community.

For more information about this work visit the Luce Foundation Center.


Keywords

Abstract

sculpture

metal - iron

metal - nickel silver

stone - limestone

About Seymour Lipton

Born: New York, New York 1903 Died: Glen Cove, New York 1986

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Seymour Lipton

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