It was nice to have a class outside the classroom. The long walk to the David Zwirner gallery in Chelsea allowed for conversations amongst ourselves about Ruth Asawa’s art. Megan and I shared our thoughts and perceptions about Asawa’s art. We also encountered multiple public art attractions, such Josiah McElheny’s Prismatic Park, along the trip.
Arriving at the gallery and being greeted by a wall of gray and air conditioning was pleasant. Everything was minimalist. The stark white walls contrasted with Asawa’s art made for an eye popping view. With the dark art against a white background, it was easier focus on the details. The lack of color really allowed for the paintings and solo sculpture to stand alone and be portrayed as one.
I was very impressed by the intricate weaving of the wires. In my eighth grade art class, we created one line wire portraits. Bending the wire was very difficult, left a bad smell on your hands, and took forever. I thought I was never going to complete the project. I can only imagine how long and laborious Asawa’s complex wire sculptures were.
The brightly lit space of the gallery brought a fresh air to Asawa’s art. It was obvious the wire sculptures could create beautiful shadows against the white walls when properly illuminated. However, the overabundance of light took that sight away. It was no longer possible to see the shadows of the sculptures. I thought that was a bit disappointing because I looked forward to watch the shadows dance upon the white walls with the spotlight focusing on them. Because the shadows were no longer present, I believe that really took away from Asawa’s art. Part of her art involved the delicate triangular relationship between light, shadow, and background. She sought to achieve a harmonious balance between the three. When one essential element is removed from the connection, that fragile balance is thrown off.
The cluster of wire sculptures in the middle of the main showroom made the presentation confusing and hard to differentiate the beginning and end of each work. Navigating around the group of sculptures was burdensome due to the amounts of people. The number of people also took away fo Asawa’s art. I think if the amount of people were reduced, the size of the wire sculptures would be able to wash over you completely.
My two favorite pieces were the Untitled (S.383, Wall-Mounted Tied Wire, Open-Center, Six-Pointed Star, with Six Branches), c. 1967 and Untitled (S.030, Hanging Eight Separate Cones Suspended Through Their Centers), c. 1952. I found the first work interesting because it is not one of the usual wire sculptures meant to hang from the ceiling. Instead, it is meant to be hung from a wall. In addition, I thought the six-pointed star was very significant. As a person of Japanese descent during WW2, Asawa was sent to internment camps. I believe she saw herself as one of the peoples who were silenced and persecuted during that time period. I think it represented her solidarity and empathy with the Jewish people who were tormented by the Nazis. The latter work was also very captivating. From it, I captured a sense of acceptance of her Japanese roots and the fact that she embraced them. To me, it looks like a Japanese pagoda. Rather than only concentrating on herself, Asawa was able to connect her and her works to the outside world.
