Magdalena Abakanowicz
MAGDALENA ABAKANOWICZ "UNTITLED" 1982
Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017) was an acclaimed Polish artist, best known for her powerful sculptures and large-scale installations, often crafted from fiber-based materials such as burlap, sisal, and wool.
In the 1960s, Abakanowicz radically redefined textile art, a medium that was traditionally perceived as craft-oriented and feminine. During this era, the artist introduced "Abakans," a series of monumental hanging fiber sculptures. Constructed in biomorphic shapes, the sculptures enveloped their surroundings, draping and enclosing within space to create an immersive, multi-sensory experience.
As her career evolved, the artist embraced figuration in sculpture, playing a key role in the revival of this genre in the late twentieth century. Abakanowicz's figuration is raw, emotional, and intense. Often omitting or isolating body parts, her work evokes a sense of collective vulnerability and disconnection while challenging traditional representations of the human form. There is a consistent austerity or frightful aesthetic in her work. The artist is frequently referencing her dark experiences growing up in Poland during WWII and then the Soviet era of communism and repression.
In this work, a mask or skull-like figure is suspended amidst vast, negative space. The form hovers between figuration and abstraction, its ambiguity intensified by expressive sweeps of charcoal that have been vigorously layered, blurred, and erased.
We recommend visiting the Tate's website for an excellent timeline of the artist's life and career.
Today, Abakanowicz's work is held in prestigious collections across the globe, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Tate (London), and the Centre Pompidou (Paris).
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"Untitled"
1982
Mixed media on paper
Signed and dated by the artist, lower margin
39"H 29.5"W (framed)
46"H 35.5"W (work)
Very good condition.
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