Photo Credit: David Dietrich
Untitled (S.372)
© Estate of Ruth Asawa / Artists Rights Socitey (ARS), New York
Asawa enrolled at Black Mountain College in summer 1946. In Josef Albers’s design class, students used materials such as leaves and found objects in their studies, largely because the college cound not afford art supplies. Anni Albers and student Alex Reed created hardware jewelry, further demonstrating that hierarchies do not exist among materials. In summer 1947 in Mexico, Asawa became intrigued by the looped wire baskets used to hold eggs at the market. This simple form, constructed from a common utilitarian material, was the catalyst for the creation of Asawa’s elegant wire sculptures. Simple wire baskets evolved into more complex forms often woven from a single strand, as she realized the capacity of looped wire structures to support weight and retain form.
Exhibition Title: Asheville Art Museum: An Introduction to the Collection
Label Date: 2021
Type: Catalogue Entry
Written by: Mary Emma Harris
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