USA
* December 20, 1922 New York
† February 5, 2020 Todi
Beverly Pepper has always been a pioneer in sculpture; as one of the few women in the male-dominated steel sculpture scene of the 1960s and 1970s, she carved out a unique position for herself. She learned welding from a blacksmith and then worked in a steel mill in Pennsylvania to learn the techniques of steel processing. She was the first sculptor to use Corten steel, later moving on to other robust materials such as iron, bronze, cast iron, and stone.
Pepper’s works are characterized by strict geometric forms: pyramids, columns, gates, wedges, and blocks. Her works -mostly presented in public spaces – appear powerful and monumental. Since the 1970s, she was one of the first artists to consistently create massive works that can be classified as land art. She designed her site-specific earth sculptures in dialogue with their surroundings; the artworks melt with the landscape rather than dominating it.
In 2019, Pepper donated approximately 20 sculptures to the city of Todi in Umbria (Italy), where she was an honorary citizen. These sculptures are now part of the Beverly Pepper Sculpture Park, which opened that same year.
