About the artist

Beverly Pepper was born December 20, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York. Although she was originally a painter, her sculpture debut took place in 1962 consisting of an exhibit of carved tree trunks located in Rome. Pepper worked mainly with wood carvings and metal castings, later turning to polished stainless steel and cor-ten steel. She is best known for her site specific monumental works, and land art.

About the work

Pepper’s original intent in creating this piece was to produce a work similar to Normanno Wedge; which is a monument to tools and their spirituality as well as their use in the creation of civilization. She was interested in combining images of tools with the concept of monuments, the two things she associated with civilization. Pepper’s piece has a very natural presence—as if it grew there alongside the moss and the western hemlocks and she invites the viewer to be a part of the work in this way by blending nature with industrial materials. 

Created by:

Whitney Powell (Photography, research), Brinnon Kummer (Photography, editing), Russel Grim (Photography, research), Maggie Hayward (Writing, admin)

Music: “Air on the G String Suite for Orchestra No. 3 in D Major” by Johann Sebastian Bach (from the public domain)