Chapter 1
Art born in captivity
Chapter 2
The Black Mountain College experiment
Chapter 3
Weaving space and shadows
Chapter 4
The public citizen of San Francisco
Chapter 5
The domestic studio
YOUR GOAL
Master of The art of Ruth Asawa
Ch 2 · The Black Mountain College experiment
galleta These giant, looping wire sculptures actually started as simple Mexican egg baskets.
choko Ruth Asawa's Wire Sculptures
Loop the wire, loop the wire, We're weaving a line in space.
galleta This experimental school inspired Ruth Asawa to weave everyday wire into famous sculptures.
choko Bauhaus master Josef Albers taught Asawa to see common materials in entirely new ways.
BETA
choko Weave continuous loops of wire to learn how Ruth Asawa sculpted space and shadow.
Fun Fact
Mexican Wire Loop: In 1947, Black Mountain College student Ruth Asawa learned Toluca basket-weaving in Mexico, transforming this humble craft into her signature, awe-inspiring looped wire sculptures.
Glossary
matière studies (plural noun)
Exercises in exploring the surface textures and qualities of everyday materials. This Albers-led practice inspired Ruth Asawa to craft weightless wire sculptures, proving that stunning art can be made from the most humble, commonplace supplies.
Exercises in exploring the surface textures and qualities of everyday materials. This Albers-led practice inspired Ruth Asawa to craft weightless wire sculptures, proving that stunning art can be made from the most humble, commonplace supplies.
Quiz
Which inventor of the geodesic dome did Ruth Asawa study with at Black Mountain College?
choko A trip to Mexico in 1947 introduced Asawa to the wire-weaving technique that defined her career.
Fun Fact
Wire egg baskets: Ruth Asawa learned her signature wire-looping technique from Mexican artisans who used it to make simple baskets for carrying eggs.
Glossary
wire (noun)
A slender, flexible thread or rod of metal. While studying at a progressive North Carolina school, Ruth Asawa began making sculptures with this material.
A slender, flexible thread or rod of metal. While studying at a progressive North Carolina school, Ruth Asawa began making sculptures with this material.
Quiz
Which famous experimental school did Ruth Asawa attend in North Carolina starting in 1946?
Quiz
In which country did Ruth Asawa learn the wire-looping technique from local basket makers in 1947?
Quiz
What philosophy did Josef Albers teach that deeply influenced Ruth Asawa's choice of artistic materials?
Quiz
What did the Mexican artisans originally use their looped-wire baskets to hold when Ruth Asawa visited in 1947?
Quiz
Which influential Bauhaus master was Ruth Asawa's primary teacher and mentor in North Carolina?