Sculptor H.C. Westerman passed through the islands as a gunner serving aboard the USS Enterprise at Pearl Harbor during World War II. Noted collectors bought his early works during the post-war period, even though Westerman studiously avoided hot trends in the art world. I guess you could call him an anti-modern modernist. His objects have a simple yet strong visual appeal, not totally abstract but not totally literal, either. This is the second exhibition showing a large collection of his works before he gained critical acclaim in the late 1950s. The last one was staged over forty years ago.

The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu
August 25 – November 19, 2006

—Alex, 10/24/06