So happy to have seen the Ruth Asawa retrospective at MoMA before it closed. February 7th will be the last day, so if you can make it over there before then I highly recommend seeing it.
I was taken by so many things: her talent, her resilience, her ability to share her work and knowledge with young people (and old people too!), her foresight to get a patent for her unique wire construction, and her ability to produce an abundance of work in a multitude of mediums.
When she was 16 she was sent to an internment camp in Santa Anita, California, along with her mother and siblings, a punishment for simply being of Japanese descent, and then later moved to a camp in Arkansas. Despite the bleak situation, she met other internees who were interesting and gave her encouragement; some of whom were Disney artists who taught her drawing and sparked her creative awakening.
After the war, she tried to pursue teaching, but found it difficult to get a job given the anti-Japanese sentiment still prevalent at the time. Instead she enrolled at North Carolina's premiere art school, Black Mountain College, and was mentored by Josef and Anni Albers, as well as Buckminster Fuller. It was there that Asawa began experimenting with unconventional materials and came into her own as an artist with a unique vision.
Asawa's "crocheted" wire sculptures at MoMA captured my heart. Below you'll find a sampling of the many extraordinary pieces on display.
For more information about the artist and the exhibition click this link to be taken to the Museum of Modern Art's website.
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