Name/Title
CovenantEntry/Object ID
0000.0751.0001Description
When Alexander Liberman’s abstract steel pipe Covenant was installed at 39th Street and Locust Walk in 1975, it attracted more detractors than supporters. Made from rolled sheets of milled steel painted cherry red, some students and faculty panned the sculpture as “gross” and “hideous.”
Perhaps one of the most remarked-upon pieces of public art at Penn, it continues to inspire public debate and conversation. The reactions have ranged from one observer’s delighted, “I think it’s great, I really like it,” to a WXPN-organized attempt to knock it over with sound waves (which failed).
The sculpture’s purchase was part of a citywide ordinance that requires 1 percent of all expenditures for city-assisted construction to be used to purchase art. Liberman, the artist, intended to convey a feeling of bonding together for a high purpose. Besides being a pioneer in large abstract sculpture, Lieberman was a significant figure in fashion publishing, serving as Art Director for Vogue and editorial director of Condé Nast Publications.Type of Sculpture
Free StandingDimensions
Dimension Description
SizeHeight
408 inWidth
540 inDepth
804 in