Artist

Seymour Lipton

born New York City 1903-died Glen Cove, NY 1986
Media - lipton_seymour.jpg - 90065
Image is courtesy of the Seymour Lipton papers, 1915-1985 in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Born
New York, New York, United States
Died
Glen Cove, New York, United States
Nationalities
  • American
Biography

Seymour Lipton began a career as a dentist in 1927. After a few years, he grew interested in sculpture and soon gave up medical practice to devote all of his time to art. His dark and often violent images were influenced by the fragmented forms of cubism, the psychological currents of surrealism, and the vivid portrayal of human suffering in German Expressionism. Lipton’s powerful sculptures reflect the physical forces used in their creation. By hammering, folding, twisting, and welding large pieces of sheet metal, he expressed what he saw as man’s struggle to survive in a modern, technological world. He was interested in anatomy and often ripped apart his sculptures, exposing the many layers of jagged metal to evoke dissected or exploded organic forms.