Ron Pippin: “Turtle with Beak” – Monumental Mixed-Media Assemblage (32″)

Americal Eclectic is honored to present this major work by the late master of California Assemblage, Ron Pippin. Measuring an impressive 32 inches, “Turtle with Beak” is a quintessential example of Pippin’s “Visual Prayers.” This sculpture explores the intersection of natural history and industrial myth, reimagining a primal creature as a biomechanical artifact from an impossible timeline.

Featuring Pippin’s signature hand-stitched leather, aged wax, and found mechanical components, the piece captures a tension between the vulnerable organic form and a protective industrial shell. As Pippin’s work resides in the Hirshhorn Museum, this sculpture represents a rare opportunity to acquire a “museum-scale” animal study that challenges the boundaries between art, science, and the spiritual.

Specifications:

• Artist: Ron Pippin (1943–2019)

• Medium: Leather, wax, wood, metal, and found industrial artifacts.

• Dimensions: Approx. 32″ L x 11″ W x 9″ H

• Provenance: Hirshhorn-collected artist / California Contemporary

• Condition: Excellent (Artist-intended distressed patina)

Artists Bio