Clement Meadmore

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Curl, 1968. Columbia University Campus, New York, NY

Clement Meadmore (February 9, 1929 - April 19, 2005) was an Australian-American sculptor known for massive outdoor steel sculptures.

Born Clement Lyon Meadmore in Melbourne, Australia in 1929, Clement Meadmore studied aeronautical engineering and then industrial design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. After graduating in 1949, Meadmore designed furniture for several years and, in the 1950s, created his first welded sculptures. He had several one-man exhibits of his sculptures in Melbourne and Sydney between 1954 and 1962.

In 1963 Meadmore moved to New York City. Later, he became an American citizen.

Meadmore used cor-ten steel, aluminum, and occasionally bronze to create colossal outdoor sculptures which combine the elements of abstract expressionism and minimalism. He was an avid amateur drummer and jazz lover who held jam sessions in his home. His fondess for jazz is reflected in the names of several of his works including "Riff" (1996), "Round Midnight" (1996), "Stormy Weather" (1997), "Night and Day" (1979) and "Perdido" (1978).

Meadmore's sculptures are held by museums, corporate headquarters, and colleges internationally including The Art Institute of Chicago; Adachi Outdoor Sculpture Collection, Japan; the National Gallery of Australia; the Art Gallery of Western Australia; Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio; Portland Art Institute, Oregon; Columbia University, New York ; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; University of Houston, Texas; Detroit Institute of Art, Michigan; Rhode Island School of Design Museum; Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, Japan; Columbus Gallery of Fine Art, Ohio; Gallaudet College, Washington D.C; and Princeton University, New Jersey.

Meadmore is the author of How to Make Furniture Without Tools (Pantheon, 1975) (ISBN 0-394-73063-1) and The Modern Chair: Classic Designs by Thonet, Breuer, Le Corbusier, Eames and Others (Dover Publications; 1997) (ISBN 0-486-29807-8). His work and career were cataloged in 1994 book, The Sculpture of Clement Meadmore by Eric Gibson (Hudson Hills Press; 1994) (ISBN 1-55595-098-1).

Meadmore died at the age of 76 in Manhattan from complications of Parkinson's disease.