The present lot, Untitled (St. Louis Arch) is a perfect example of H.C. Watermann’s signature folkloric assemblage. The work features a replica of the St.Louis Gateway Arch, with a tin toy plane poised to fly through the minute monument. Plastered with comic book pages and a map of St. Louis, the work imbues Westermann’s childlike sense of adventure.

While instilled with these playful qualities, Untitled (St. Louis Arch) also served to document the construction of this now historic landmark. Westermann’s work preceded completion of the real-life monument as the plans were widely published. Once the monument was completed in 1967, actual pilots were known to reenact the daring flight that Westermann so acutely imagined.