1960s Baling Wire Bull Sculpture by Paul Gershowitz

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A wild-eyed, bellowing bull sculpted from wire by Brooklyn political activist and artist Paul Gershowitz circa 1960. Blacklisted by Joe … Read more A wild-eyed, bellowing bull sculpted from wire by Brooklyn political activist and artist Paul Gershowitz circa 1960. Blacklisted by Joe McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Gershowitz moved to Pennsylvania and took a job with The Philadelphia Inquirer—there he created a series of Calder-esque forms out of the baling wire used to bundle printed newspapers. This critter is unsigned.

PAUL GERSHOWITZ (1929–2017) was born in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York, in 1929, to Sam and Rose (née Becker) Gershowitz. He graduated from Brooklyn College in 1952 with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts and Mathematics and went almost directly into the army. After serving in Korea from 1952–1954, he returned home to pursue a career as an art-school educator and community activist.

In 1955 Gershowitz established the Brighton Beach Community Cultural Center, which offered classes in painting, sculpture, photography, dance, music, and theater. A firm believer in children’s art education, he was tragically blacklisted during the McCarthy Era and forbidden to teach in the NYC public school system. Relocating to Pennsylvania, he eventually found a job with The Philadelphia Inquirer, a fairly politically independent organ at the time. Employed there, he was inspired to create a series of sculptures out of the baling wire that was used to bundle the printed newspapers. These are the works for which he has become best known.

In 1971 Gershowitz moved to upstate New York where he opened several cultural centers and children's museums. During this time he continued his activities in progressive politics, as well as education and the arts. A fixture on every progressive picket line, he was known for his bib overalls and red paisley scarf. From 1972 until 1977, Gershowitz owned and managed the Towne Crier Café (then in Beekman, New York, in Dutchess County) which sponsored performances by a variety of musical artists as it does to this day.

After retirement, Gershowitz moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he worked as a freelance artist and contributed to local causes. In 2012 he was persuaded by friends in California to move to Santa Cruz, where he became known locally as an unstoppable political agitator for social, economic, and environmental justice, never afraid to speak up and out of turn at City Council meetings and other venues.

Gershowitz died peacefully of natural causes at his Santa Cruz home in 2017. See less