Explore the Era

Delve into the postwar Los Angeles art world in this online archive, which provides additional material related to the exhibitions on view at the Getty Center. Learn about hipsters and happenings, and the venues across the city where all the action took place through images from the archives and first-hand accounts with the artists.

Stephan von Huene
Artist

Stephan Von Huene

Stephan von Huene with Tap Dancer (1967) in Düsseldorf, 1975. Image courtesy of and © Dr. Petra Kipphoff von Huene

Stephan von Huene (1932–2000) was born in Los Angeles and earned art degrees at Chouinard Art Institute and UCLA. His earliest works were vivid abstract expressionist paintings and drawings, but in the mid-1960s Von Huene turned to sculpture and began creating distinctly surrealist objects. While his earliest sculptures were made from traditional materials like wood and leather, Von Huene eventually began including mechanical elements that brought sound and movement to his pieces. Von Huene taught throughout the 1970s at CalArts before moving to Germany for the rest of his career.

Historic Map Locations

Works of Art

  • Tap Dancer

    Tap Dancer, 1967, Stephan von Huene. Wood, metal, and mechanical components. 47 1/4 x 35 7/16 x 29 1/2 in. Collection of Nancy Reddin Kienholz. © Petra von Huene. Photo: Sebastian Hartz

Explore the Archive

  • Stephan Von Huene

    Stephan von Huene with Tap Dancer (1967) in Düsseldorf, 1975. Image courtesy of and © Dr. Petra Kipphoff von Huene