Easton Ellipse

By Patricia Meyerowitz
Stained redwood, 1990
 

Easton Ellipse by Patricia Meyerowitz on the Karl Stirner Arts Trail in Easton, Pennsylvania, is comprised of large horizontal pieces of redwood in winding curves

Meyerowitz (1933-2012) described her technique as “unit construction,” which combines similar parts into a larger whole, usually with pieces of wood such as the polished redwood like that of Easton Ellipse. This piece was purchased by the city of Easton with city and state grants. Easton Ellipse was previously at the toll bridge along the Delaware River. Prior to the sculpture’s reinstallation, restoration and repair were generously contributed by local sculptor Sandra Zajacek and Eisenhardt Mills Inc. of Forks Township.

Meyerowitz was born in London, England. After attending school in Hertfordshire, she studied jewelry making at Central St. Martins London from 1956-60. She wrote Jewelry and Sculpture through Unit Construction in 1967. Her jewelry was included in a Smithsonian Institution touring exhibition in 1970-71 and in 1984 was featured at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Meyerowitz and her husband, Jacob, an artist and architect, moved to the United States in 1970, first living in SoHo, New York. In the 1990s the couple relocated to Easton, Pennsylvania.

In addition to her jewelry, Meyerowitz sculpted on a larger scale in metal and wood. Her jewelry and sculptures are visions of her own geometric constructionist ideas of form and proportion. Many of her inspirations came from the molecular structure of a virus.

Learn more about Patricia Meyerowitz.