Normanno Column was constructed (welded) between 1979 and 1980.  The sculpture has quite fascinating in design.  It vaguely resembles a totem pole, in a much more minimalist, cubist, modern fashion.  There is a line split directly down the middle of the sculpture that could function as an area for light to enter.  Towards the top of the sculpture, there is a hole, almost as if something is to come through it (light pouring from the sun).  This might just seem like a bland sculpture to some and a fancy piece of pretentious art to others, however, I have found that this piece is quite representative of the time it was made.  The plaque for the sculpture reads:“Similar to Normanno Wedge, already in Haskell Plaza, Pepper was interested in making large columnar or totem-like markers – more often resembling parts of tools – which together created a procession through a square.  She is interested in combining the image of tools with the idea of a civic monument and allowing these monuments to be seen in a sight line.”  It is very reminiscent of the minimalist, post-modern art of the time that could be seen in multiple art-pieces at the time, like the Dinner Party, and even in music like Joy Division’s “Unknown Pleasures” (1979) which features radio signals of the death of a star.

 

The time period when this sculpture was created was a very turbulent one.  In the world of politics (which probably had a profound effect on Beverly Pepper, as it usually does on artist), there was a massive shift in many western countries to the right.

In The United Kingdom, the policies of British Prime Minister James Callaghan to control inflation by making pay rises below 5% had led to country-wide trade union strikes, made him look weak and led to the Winter of Discontent in late 1978 and early 1979.  Callaghan was a member of the Labor Party (the liberal party of the country), and they were now experiencing a massive backlash as a result of the winter of discontent.  As a result, the Conservative party adopted the economic policies of people like Milton Friedman, who argued for a massive move of economic power to the private sector.  This resulted in the election of Margaret Thatcher, who served as Prime Minister from May 1979 until November 1990, defining many of the trickle-down economics which involved deregulation of the financial sector, privatization of state-owned companies, and deducting power from the massive trade unions.  This only led to a long recession and high unemployment until the Falklands War.

In the United States a Similar thing happened.  The 1973 Oil Crisis was an embargo on oil by multiple Arab countries, due to the US support of Israel, which increased the price of gas drastically.  Another Oil Crisis occurred in 1979 due to the Iranian Revolution, and the price of Oil decreased by only ~4%, but people got really outraged.  There was also a recession between 1973 and 1975 which was a result of stagflation.  In 1979, with the Iranian Revolution complete, a massive hostage crisis occurred, where 52 American diplomats were held for 444 days, resulting in a very xenophobic backlash in the U.S..  By this point, many Americans had had enough with Left-wing Keynesian economics (basically New Deal economics), and social issues like the Equal Rights Amendment, and the passage of Roe v. Wade (1973) legalizing Abortion, a massive wave of social conservatism rose, with economic policies influenced by the Chicago School of economics; whose figurehead, Milton Friedman espoused supply-side economics (deregulated businesses, cut taxes for the rich, and privatize government owned businesses).  This new group was called the New Right, and it’s largest subset was an evangelical Christian sect called the Moral Majority, who were led by televangelist Jerry Falwell.  They took power in 1980 with the election of Republican candidate, Ronald Reagan.  Reagan would impose many of these supply-side/trickle-down economic policies in the US government, and would decentralize many of the U.S.’s social programs.

Elsewhere, at this time there was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, which increased tensions between the United States and the U.S.S.R. once again.  There was also the Iranian Revolution in 1978 – 1979, which caused a resurgence in traditional, strict Islamic doctrine in the Middle East.  Basically, around the world, the Right Wing was on the rise.

I believe this piece of art is related to this time period.  Many artists looked at this change in the political sphere with despair.  You can see this with many Punk and Post-Punk bands at the time.  Bands like Joy Division, the Clash, Public Image Ltd., and Gang of Four were very cynical of times, being a depressing sign of the things to come.  This sculpture is no exception to this rule.  It gives off a depressing, dying look with the dark, rusty color, and the minimalist design.  Almost to symbolize a sense of dread about the future of the world.  It feels like it is representative of a dying age in human history, the age where social programs were a common norm, and society didn’t always have to rely on the free-market to decide economic and public choices, or more importantly, the rising threat of nuclear annihilation at the time (reignited tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union due to the Soviet-Afghan war).  The massive hole and line that goes vertically down the sculpture could be also a representation of hope.  Sunlight glaring through the sculpture to make not everything, completely hopeless for people on the left side of the political spectrum.

 

Max Seuberlich – Written portion and photography

Senan Ohno – posting, editing

Overtveldt, Johan Van. The Chicago School: How the University of Chicago Assembled the Thinkers Who Revolutionized Economics and Business . N.p.: n.p., 2007. Print. Chapter 9

 

Cunningham, Sean P. “New Right: Political Movement.” Encyclopedia Britanica. N.p., 19 May 2016. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/New-Right>.

 

“3 May 1979.” Politics 97. N.p., 1997. Web. 15 Feb. 2017. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/background/pastelec/ge79.shtml>.

 

Burleigh, Nina. “Beverly Pepper’s Umbrian Influence.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 03 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2017.

<https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304213904579093491321183158>.

 

 

 

Www.spanierman.com, Spanierman Gallery. “BEVERLY PEPPER (b. 1922).” BEVERLY PEPPER – Artist Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2017.

<http://spaniermanmodern.com/inventory/P/Beverly-Pepper/Beverly-Pepper-Biography.htm>.