| FILTER RESULTS | × Close |
by Object Type (2)
by Object Type (2) Skip to Content
Untitled (S.234, Wall-Mounted, Tied-Wire, Closed-Center, Four Petaled Form Based on Nature)
ca. late 1960's
64 x 64 x 15 in. (162.56 x 162.56 x 38.1 cm)
Ruth Asawa (Norwalk, California, 1926 - 2013, San Francisco, California)
Ruth Asawa: Citizen of the World, May 21 – August 21, 2022, Modern Art Oxford, UK; and October 1, 2022 – January 22, 2023, Stavanger Kunstmuseum, Norway.
Indestructible Wonder, April 18, 2016 - January 29, 2017, Second Floor, Central and North Galleries, San José Museum of Art.
Variations on a Theme, May 23, 2009 - February 7, 2010, New Wing, Second Floor, Central Skylight Gallery, San José Museum of Art (Included in Part III: September 12, 2009-February 7, 2010.)
New Year, New Gifts, December 16, 2006 – May 20. 2007, New Wing, Second Floor, North and South Metro A Galleries, San José Museum of Art.
Indestructible Wonder (2016-2017)
In lattices of woven or entwined wire, Ruth Asawa merged industrial materials with domestic craft traditions to create defined volumes almost without mass. Associations to natural phenomena, from cell division and snowflakes to trees and seaweed, emerge in the artist’s wire sculptures. Inspired by the hexagonal structures of desert plants and the crocheted baskets she learned to make in Mexico, Asawa created her intricate wireworks after she found that drawing did not allow her to capture the spatial complexities of her organic subjects.
Untitled is a tied-wire sculpture from the late 1960s. Curvilinear tangents branch out from the center with each extension splitting off into successively smaller and thinner offshoots. The form becomes a circular decorative relief with a strong core that dissolves into radiating, fragile strands. With machine-made components and synthetic materials, Asawa created a metaphor of nature.
Variations on a Theme (2009-2010)
Ruth Asawa's groundbreaking sculptures, first exhibited in the early 1950s, were described by one critic as reflecting "one of the most original, unprecedented—and unfortunately indescribable—styles of any sculptor in America." Asawa’s early tied-wire sculptures were inspired by the hexagonal structures of desert plants. When she found that drawing didn't allow her to capture the plants in the way she wanted, she began constructing "drawings" in three dimensions out of lengths of tied-wire. These were followed by pieces in crocheted wire, which she says reflect the hourglass and plant patterns she drew in the dirt as a child.
| FILTER RESULTS | × Close |
by Object Type (2)
Untitled (S.234, Wall-Mounted, Tied-Wire, Closed-Center, Four Petaled Form Based on Nature)
Sculpture
ca. late 1960's64 x 64 x 15 in. (162.56 x 162.56 x 38.1 cm)
Ruth Asawa (Norwalk, California, 1926 - 2013, San Francisco, California)
Object Type: Sculpture
Medium and Support: Bronze wire
Credit Line: Museum purchase with funds contributed by Polly and Tom Bredt, Elaine and Rex Cardinale, Mary Mocas and Marv Tsu
Accession Number: 2006.12
Exhibition
Ruth Asawa: Citizen of the World, May 21 – August 21, 2022, Modern Art Oxford, UK; and October 1, 2022 – January 22, 2023, Stavanger Kunstmuseum, Norway.
Indestructible Wonder, April 18, 2016 - January 29, 2017, Second Floor, Central and North Galleries, San José Museum of Art.
Variations on a Theme, May 23, 2009 - February 7, 2010, New Wing, Second Floor, Central Skylight Gallery, San José Museum of Art (Included in Part III: September 12, 2009-February 7, 2010.)
New Year, New Gifts, December 16, 2006 – May 20. 2007, New Wing, Second Floor, North and South Metro A Galleries, San José Museum of Art.
SJMA Label Text
Indestructible Wonder (2016-2017)
In lattices of woven or entwined wire, Ruth Asawa merged industrial materials with domestic craft traditions to create defined volumes almost without mass. Associations to natural phenomena, from cell division and snowflakes to trees and seaweed, emerge in the artist’s wire sculptures. Inspired by the hexagonal structures of desert plants and the crocheted baskets she learned to make in Mexico, Asawa created her intricate wireworks after she found that drawing did not allow her to capture the spatial complexities of her organic subjects.
Untitled is a tied-wire sculpture from the late 1960s. Curvilinear tangents branch out from the center with each extension splitting off into successively smaller and thinner offshoots. The form becomes a circular decorative relief with a strong core that dissolves into radiating, fragile strands. With machine-made components and synthetic materials, Asawa created a metaphor of nature.
Variations on a Theme (2009-2010)
Ruth Asawa's groundbreaking sculptures, first exhibited in the early 1950s, were described by one critic as reflecting "one of the most original, unprecedented—and unfortunately indescribable—styles of any sculptor in America." Asawa’s early tied-wire sculptures were inspired by the hexagonal structures of desert plants. When she found that drawing didn't allow her to capture the plants in the way she wanted, she began constructing "drawings" in three dimensions out of lengths of tied-wire. These were followed by pieces in crocheted wire, which she says reflect the hourglass and plant patterns she drew in the dirt as a child.
Additional Images Click an image to view a larger version
Exhibition List
This object was included in the following exhibitions: - New Year, New Gifts San Jose Museum of Art , 12/16/2006 - 2/18/2000
- Variations on a Theme San Jose Museum of Art , 5/23/2009 - 2/7/2010
Dimensions
- Sculpture Dimensions: 64 x 64 x 15 in. (162.56 x 162.56 x 38.1 cm)
Portfolio List Click a portfolio name to view all the objects in that portfolio
This object is a member of the following portfolios: 
Your current search criteria is: Related to "Ruth Asawa".