Untitled (S.379, Hanging, Single-Lobed, Four Layered Continuous Form within a Form)

Staff Pick | Monthly Muse June 2020

In the present state of the world, finding focus can be challenging due to so much uncertainty. Ruth Asawa’s iconic hanging sculpture Untitled offers contemplative respite, as well as provocative, poignant, and political commentary. The single strand of copper, methodically woven, creates an almost ethereal object. When I look at the piece, it evokes multiple interpretations—from a mandala for meditation to a womb-like shape symbolizing motherhood, to a vessel, simultaneously full and empty. All, however, are inextricably bound to the enduring image of the wire fences at the internment camps where Asawa and her family were detained during WWII.

Robert Plogman
Assistant Director, Exhibitions and Facilities Management, Langson IMCA