Sisyphus
Sisyphus, 1985
Alexander Liberman (1912-1999)
Painted Steel
City of Beverly Hills Purchase with the donation by Dr. Murray Pepper in honor of Vicki Reynolds Pepper
Alexander Liberman's paintings and sculptures display a few, very bright colors and either a reductive composition or, as here, a very intricate one unified by a single color. Almost invariably, however, Liberman's works are outsized, the paintings almost mural-sized, the sculptures monumental. The segments here are salvaged from tank drums, giant pipes, steel beams, and other huge metal forms. Liberman has cut and sliced them to evoke baroque sculpture and architecture such as Greek temples and medieval cathedrals. Liberman created such giant artworks while serving as editorial director for the Conde Nast publishing empire.