We used to make patterns in the dirt, hanging our feet off the horse-drawn farm equipment. We made endless hourglass figures that I now see as the forms within forms in my crocheted wire sculptures.
Ruth AsawaRead
It wasn't stone. It wasn't welded steel. It wasn't traditional sculpture. They thought it was craft, or something else, but not art. They couldn't define it in the early Fifties when I was starting out.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Ruth Asawa expresses the uncertainty and evolving definitions of art during her early career.
In this quote, Ruth Asawa reflects on the challenges she faced as an artist in the early Fifties, when her unique approach to art was often misunderstood or categorized in ways that did not capture its essence. She highlights the struggle for definitions in the art world, emphasizing that true art can transcend traditional materials and expectations, inviting a broader appreciation of creative expression.
Themes
ArtDefinitionCreativityExpressionUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during an art event to discuss the evolving nature of creativity.
More from Ruth Asawa
All quotes →Art is doing. Art deals directly with life.
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An artist is not special. An artist is an ordinary person who can take ordinary things and make them special.
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I am able to take a wire line and go into the air and define the air without stealing from anyone. A line can enclose and define space while letting the air remain air.
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