Study for "Storm Bird" 1955

Seymour Lipton made this study for "Storm Bird" in 1953 using graphite on paper. This drawing explores ideas about nature, technology, and the human condition, prevalent during the Cold War era in the United States. The image presents an abstract form, reminiscent of a bird, perched atop a pedestal. Lipton’s choice of an industrial medium like metal for the sculpture and a turbulent subject like a storm bird suggests a complex relationship between humanity and the natural world, one that is mediated by technology and potentially threatened by conflict. This piece was created during the height of the Cold War when anxiety about technological advancement was a widespread sentiment. To better understand this work, research into Lipton’s statements and the cultural context of the 1950s will shed light on the meaning of art as contingent on social and institutional context.