Lyman Kipp


Lyman Emmet Kipp, Jr. was a sculptor and painter who created pieces that are composed of strong vertical and horizontal objects and were often painted in bold primary colors recalling arrangements by De Stijl Constructivists. Kipp is an important figure in the development of the Primary Structure style which came to prominence in the mid-1960s.
Kipp's early work in the 1950s focused on geometric, plaster reliefs and cast bronzes. He moved on to large, geometric, welded pieces composed of post and beam elements emphasizing the vertical during the 1960s. Finding it difficult to transport large, heavy, welded pieces, he turned to angled sections and sheets of steel and aluminum that could be bolted together on site. Typically the pieces were painted with bright colors and the thin edges were often defined with bright, complementary colors. In the late 1970s, Kipp's steel sheets began to move into the air on thin legs.
Kipp was a founding member of ConStruct, the artist-owned gallery that promoted and organized large-scale sculpture exhibitions throughout the United States. Other founding members include Mark di Suvero, Kenneth Snelson, John Raymond Henry and Charles Ginnever.
Kipp's health deteriorated and he died peacefully on March 30, 2014. His last known works were in 2011.

Education/Teaching/Grants

1950 - 1952 Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
1952 - 1954 Cranbrook Academy of Art, Michigan
1960 - 1963 Bennington College, Vermont
1962 - 1963 Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
1963 - 1968 Hunter College, NYC
1966 Dartmouth College, NH
1968 - 1975 Lehman College, NYC

1975 - 1978 Hunter College, NYC
1978 - 1985 Hunter College, NYC
1985 Hunter College, NYC
1966 Guggenheim Fellowship
1966 Fulbright Grant
1967 Summer Research Grant, City University of New York
1970 City University Faculty Research Grant
1975 City University Faculty Research Grant
1977 Art Park, Lewiston, NY
1980 Hand Hollow Foundation, New York
1982 Schuster Grant

Monumental sculptures and public works

United States

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