Di Suvero's unique ability to use industrial elements in monumental, architecturally scaled, spatially dynamic compositions that convey poignant human emotion is revealed in the anti-war symbolism of Mother Peace and the poignant Mon Père, Mon Père, in memory of his father.

Mozart's Birthday by Mark di Suvero
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's bicentennial in 1991 gave the impetus to this dramatic welded-steel construction of circular elements and thrusting angles. Atop a tall sawhorse-style base a rocking form animates the sculpture, while a triangulated element in the shape of an upside-down Y lends the work physical stability and increases its visual intricacy. The combination of contained energy in the circles and release in the thrusting beams evokes not only the lively exuberance of Mozart's music but also the energetic urban commotion surrounding the Long Island City studio where di Suvero created the work. Mozart's Birthday was a welcome addition in 2000 when it was given to the Art Center by Maurice Cohen and Margo Cohen, where it is enjoyed in open fields and in full view of other major works by the artist. It complements our 65-foot Pyramidian, acquired in 1998, which is the centerpiece of our South Fields, as well as the "classic" I-beam constructions, Mother Peace (1969-70) and Mon Pere Mon Pere (1973-75). Now, more than ever, the Storm King Art Center is the prime destination for anyone interested in the work of Mark di Suvero.