Magdalena Abakanowicz is an extraordinary artist, somebody who´s scale of work, of different techniques, ways of expression is really grand and widespreaded. It is an artist influenced by a dramatic and often tragic background and lived through different political tensions in Poland, so that also the political, psychological background is important for the understanding of the work of Abakanowicz. In this essay only a short overview can be given, but the spectrum of her work is much more extensive.
At a glance
- Grade: 1.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Examines four figurative series: Heads, Seated Figures, Backs and Embryology
- Discusses the outdoor installations Negev and Space of Dragon
- 10 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
The document does not contain a table of contents or numbered chapters.
Purpose and Themes
This essay offers an overview of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s artistic development, considering how her biography, Polish political history, materials and changing sculptural forms relate to her work. It does not state a formal research question.
- Early life and artistic education in Poland
- Weaving, fiber art and the Abakans
- Figurative sculpture and representations of the body
- Nature, war and collective experience
- Outdoor installations and international exhibitions
Excerpt from the Book
Magdalena Abakanowicz, The splendid artist of the 1960`s.
She became one of the leaders of international fiber art movement when she transformed her weavings from flat wall hangings into monumental sculptural forms called Abakans. Taking human forms, the Abakans showed already expressive figuration, later manifested in the Postminimalistic art.
The Abakans are made almost entirely from sisal and were produced with the help of two studio assistants. The Abakans have three types of shapes – rectangular, oval and garmentlike. The rectangular pieces are often arranged around a metal ring, creating a tubelike construction (resembling the Elbląg sculpture). The oval type, for example Abakan Red-Orange (1967-70, fig. 2), consists of one round shape, modified by cuts and openings or folds. The garmentlike Abakans (like Brown Coat, 1968 or Sister, 1969-74) are often made of three separate parts sewn together, hanging on a metal rod. With the combination of hard and soft forms, smooth and rough surfaces, the Abakans are not clear–cut and can be seen as many things at once. Its possible to see them as dark caves, hollowed-out trees, masses of hides, totems or ceremonial robes. In this works the organic motifs evoke body fragments, fiber becomes a metaphor for internal organs, muscles, veins, and viscera. Abakan Violet (1968), for instance, looks like a human tongue. Turquoise Abakan (1970, fig. 3) evokes an image of elastic lungs linked by a network of large pulmonary blood vessels. The form of Abakan Brown evokes flayed skin or thick layers of epidermis covered with lymp channels or nerve endings, protecting the underlying tissues and organs. A large number of these works make clear references to female genitalia. Abakan Yellow (1967-68) and Red Abakan I (1969-70) include openings, labialike folds and dark enclosures.
These motifs, very feminine and erotic, were mostly understood in that way, that Abakanowicz is a feminist artist; but she neither understood nor sympathized with the feminist agendas. She was influenced by the promoted Communist ideology, she learned to believe in gender equality.
She started to use rope permanently from 1970 to 1973. The most provacative work she did with rope, appaered at the 6th tapestry biennial in Lausanne in 1973, where she presented her Wheel and Rope installation, which consisted of an enormous ready-made wooden utility spool wound with sisal rope, looking like a magnified bobbin. This piece reminds in a work by Edward Krasiński (one of the leading conceptual artists in Poland), called The Wheel.
Overview of the Work
The essay is presented as a continuous text rather than as titled chapters. It follows Abakanowicz from her childhood and training through her textile works, figurative sculptures and outdoor installations, before considering recurring imagery of nature, violence and transformation.
Keywords
Magdalena Abakanowicz, Polish contemporary art, fiber art, Abakans, weaving, sculpture, figurative art, human body, nature, war, collective identity, outdoor installations, War Games
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work about?
It is an illustrated essay about the life and artistic development of Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz.
What are its central themes?
It considers textile art, sculpture, the human body, nature, war, political context and collective experience.
What is the essay’s main purpose?
It aims to provide a short overview of Abakanowicz’s work and the biographical and historical circumstances relevant to understanding it. It does not formulate a formal research question.
What method does the author use?
The essay presents a descriptive and interpretive account of the artist’s career and works, drawing on published sources. It does not identify a formal research method.
What does the main text cover?
It traces the artist’s education and early paintings, the Abakans, figurative series, outdoor installations and later works using wood and bronze.
Which keywords characterize the essay?
Key terms include fiber art, Abakans, figurative sculpture, the human body, nature, war and outdoor installations.
What are the Abakans?
The essay describes them as monumental woven sculptural forms made largely from sisal, including rectangular, oval and garmentlike shapes.
Which figurative series are discussed?
The essay examines Heads, Seated Figures, Backs and Embryology, as well as later groupings called Crowd.
Which outdoor installations are considered?
They include Katarsis in Italy, Negev in Jerusalem and Space of Dragon in Seoul.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Cornelia Friebe (Autor:in), 2006, Magdalena Abakanowicz. The splendid artist of the 1960`s, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/275373
