H.C. Westermann
Dust Pan, 30/15, 1972
Galvanized sheet metal, oak, and brass
5 3/8 x 11 1/2 x 15 5/8 in
13.7 x 29.2 x 39.7 cm
Punched on top of handle sleeve: "OAK"
Punched on bottom of handle sleeve: "U.S.A."
Punched on inside rear of pan, upper edge: "H.C. WESTERMANN 1972 / 30/15"
Punched on brass anchor attached to back of pan, proper left side: "72 / WESTERMANN"
$16,500

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H.C. Westermann (1922-1981), is known primarily as a sculptor of witty and carefully crafted objects that pull often invoke humorous or surreal circumstances. Later in his career, Westermann began making dust pans similar to the ones he used in his studio as sculptures. He made a number of them for close associates and friends, but the largest group he produced was for 30 Dust Pans, a sculpture comprising thirty dust pans that were originally displayed together as a single work. After their debut presentation in 1972, the dust pans were sold individually. "Dust Pan, 30/15" is from this group, and features a beautiful handle hand-carved from oak. 

In the catalogue raisonné of Westermann's sculpture, curator Michael Rooks writes at length about Westermann's dust pans: "As Westermann explained in the inscription for 30 Dust Pans, he carved all of the handles rather than turning them on a wood lathe. This resulted in slightly irregular, organic shapes that are generally fatter at the ends. He employed eighteen different woods in all, occasionally combining two different types—one for the handle and the other for the handle sleeve—and using several favorite woods, like ash, oak, and rosewood, more than once. All thirty dust pans fit within a crate that also served as the work's pedestal. Westermann's dust pans bring to mind works such as Marcel Duchamp's In Advance of the Broken Arm (1917), although they lack the ironic detachment from practical function that Duchamp's 'readymade' snow shovel affects. Westermann's dust pans were made to be used, an many of them have been used. Not surprisingly, they work very well—the edge of each pan is filed sharp, allowing the sweeper to collect the smallest particles of dirt and dust. In 30 Dust Pans, Westermann literally elevated the ignoble utensils, removing them from the floor and placing them upright on a pedestal, perhaps reflecting what he considered an important part of his daily studio ritual: Westermann habitually swept up sawdust, wood, and metal shavings, and other debris that accumulated on the floor in the course of a day, usually keeping a small whisk brook in his back pocket for this purpose."

Audiences and critics have often attempted to situate Westermann’s works within various art historical movements ranging from Surrealism and Minimalism to Neo Dada. Though Westermann incorporated elements from these movements into his work, his oeuvre resists definition; Westermann stands alone as an eccentric art world maverick. Much of Westermann’s work speaks to his own personal history, specifically his time serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during both World War II and the Korean War. Westermann ’s view of America was both nostalgic and romantic, and his work reflects his yearning for an era that favored traditional values. The America that emerged after World War II stood as a global super power that thrived on growth and abundance, spawning a new culture in a changed nation. Westermann chose to use his skills as a carpenter to confront the brutal realities of his time at war and the general post-war psyche. Often with notes of humor and irony, Westermann’s sculptures engage with a sense of loss both in his own life and of the values of pre-World War II America.