Bench Form 89-4 (1989)

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Bench Form 89-4 consists of two 7 x 7 foot Vermont marble slabs on granite platforms. The 15-ton sculpture was created by Thomas Sternal (1943-2015) and was intended to provide viewers with a variety of different textures and views. The sculpture was a gift of Philip and Muriel Berman and was dedicated on July 20, 1989.

Despite the weight and heft of the piece, Berman described Bench Form 89-4 as “soft and personal.” After all, it was designed to be sat on, climbed on, and interacted with by the public. It is similar, in that way, to many of Sternal’s other works. He disliked the museum-like “don’t touch” quality of sculpture and preferred to make more personal art. Upon the dedication, many attendees interacted with the work up close with one young girl even using it as an umbrella stand.

Sternal was also an art professor at Muhlenberg College from 1970-1980, as well as the head of the art department at Morehead University. He was personal friends with Philip Berman who initially approached him about the creation of this piece. Berman himself was a collector of raw materials and found the marble slabs that make up the sculpture. After some time, Sternal was inspired by the pieces and went through with the creation of the work. The Bermans then collaborated with the Allentown Commission's Public Art Committee and the director of the Bureau of Parks at the time, Donald Marushack, to choose the location for the sculpture which is where it continues to sit today. Viewers of Bench Form 89-4 are encouraged to interact with it and forge their own personal connections.

Source:
Morning Call, July 1989