Every time I visited museums and art galleries, I only looked at the paintings or any works of art that was put in a frame for display. This was the first time I focused on understanding sculptures, works of art that are not necessarily limited by a frame. On top of that, none of the sculptures had descriptions right next to them. I figured that they could be looked from and interpreted in many different ways that descriptions weren’t necessary. Often it’s not just the art, but the artist’s life story that adds to the value of the whole experience, especially after what I learned about the lifestyle of Ruth Asawa, how her background impacted her life during the war and how she used her resources in internment camp and Black Mountain college to develop as an artist.
46 x 46 x 6 inches (116.8 x 116.8 x 15.2 cm)
This was one of the pieces that caught my eye. The entire piece was made with wires. Inside, the wires formed the star of David in the middle and the branches seem to be expanding from the outside in different directions. With this piece, Asawa was trying to indicate the rising oppression towards different groups across the globe, starting from the killing of Jewish people in Germany to the discrimination against Japanese-Americans in the United States during World War II.
Looking at it from a different perspective, the outer part of it isn’t as attractive as the inner part. The inner part seems more organized than the outer part. I get the message, “Don’t judge a book by its over” from looking at it. With the piece, Asawa also could also be sending us the message that just because someone looks different doesn’t mean that the person is filled with bad intentions. This might be reflecting on how the United States government treated Japanese-Americans during the war.
I love how this piece was simple to look at yet complex at the same time. First, I thought this was an abstract form of the human body, specifically the female body. It could be that Asawa criticized the beauty standards of society. Then, I got this feeling of entrapment from looking at the inner parts being trapped inside the outer part. It might be portraying her situation when she was sent to camp. The camp restricted her from living a normal life and she was limited by her surroundings. It could be also that when Asawa attended Black Mountain College, she was challenged intellectually and explored different ideas relevant to art.
From my experience at the gallery, I learned that there are more than one way to look at sculptures and no right and wrong answers when it comes to interpreting them. I recommend my readers to visit the gallery even if it to appreciate the aesthetics and overall simplicity of the exhibition.
