1. ART MASTERPIECE November Lesson Al Held – Pisa II

2. About the Artist: Al Held - born in Brooklyn in 1928. He worked in an abstract style of art that suggested the time-warp universe of space flight. He touched on several styles, from abstract expressionism to op art, illusionism, minimalism and hard-edge. Mr. Held would spend as much as three years on one of his large- scale works, which sometimes measured more than 30 feet in length. He used straight edges, masking tape and multiple coats of evenly applied paint to create works with intersecting lines, overlapping circles, triangles and other geometric figures. With subtle splashes of color and illusions of three-dimensional depth

3. About the Art: Pisa II, 1983 Pisa II is a work that exemplifies the intersection of mathematics and art. Held used mathematic precision and elements of geometry to create a dizzying array of colors and shapes. Held used rulers, compasses and other mathematical tools to create Pisa II. Notice the interlocking geometric shapes. These shapes weave a form that resembles a solid structure, but is mathematically impossible to build. The colors are designed to show viewers how math can be used to create pieces full of movement and excitement. Held's pieces were often large in scale and their popularity is partially based in mathematic tricks and tools used to create a fun, if complicated series of abstract figures.