RUTH ASAWA RETROSPECTIVE: Spectacular Hanging Wire Sculptures and Much More

Wire Sculptures, Ruth Asawa Retrospective, SFMOMA.

When I was in Oakland in August, I took BART to San Francisco to see the Ruth Asawa exhibit at SFMOMA, just before it ended. The exhibit, a retrospective of Asawa’s life’s work, will open in New York at the Museum of Modern Art on October 19. It is an amazing show, featuring not only Ruth Asawa's unique wire sculptures, but a wealth of her other work--drawings, paintings, and other media. 

Photograph of Ruth and her young son in front of a sculpture in San Francisco.

Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) began her art career at Black Mountain College (BMC) in North Carolina in 1946. In 1949 she moved to San Francisco with her husband, Albert Lanier, an architect, who had also been a student at BMC. They had six children! Ruth spent the rest of her life living and working in San Francisco and was active in the art community.

Meander, ink on paper, 1948-49.

The exhibit is arranged chronologically, and fills twelve rooms of the museum, beginning with her student work at Black Mountain College.

Ruth had a job in the college laundry. This design was created with the stamp that marked the college linens.

Folded paper design.

Throughout her early works you can see Ruth’s fascination with repetitive motifs, from folded paper, fabric designs, to pen and ink drawings.

 In these two pieces, one chair is defined with positive strong black strokes, the other by negative space.

Detail of chair. Created by repeated dabs of a felt tip marker.

Ruth’s first wire works were baskets, inspired by a trip to Mexico in 1947 where a craftsman showed her how he made egg baskets by looping wire.  

Early works--baskets.

But what has made Ruth Asawa famous are her hanging wire creations of all sizes and shapes--some with shapes nestled within one another, some exploding outward, some resembling giant teddy bears, others like tear drops or space ships, some elegant, others whimsical, and some even calling to mind an extraterrestrial! In room after room the hanging sculptures were the center of attention in the SFMOMA exhibit. Although suspended by wires from the ceiling, they seemed to float in space.

One large room of the exhibit reproduces the living room of Ruth Asawa’s Noe Valley house in San Francisco, which was filled with hanging wire sculptures and other works of art, both hers and those of friends. Many of the same pieces seen in the photo were displayed in the room at the museum.

 

Photograph by Rondal Partridge of Ruth Asawa's family in her living room.

Ruth loved her garden. Among my favorite pieces in the room were watercolor paintings of a geranium and a detailed drawing of a sunflower.

The exhibit is huge, with more than 300 works of art. Truth be told, my friend and I only looked closely at half the exhibit, spending the first two hours in the first six rooms looking at each and every item. By then we were starving for lunch, and walked quickly through the remaining six rooms in order to exit through the gift shop, stopping briefly to look at just a few pieces. We had a tasty lunch in the museum café on the fifth floor. We could have reentered the exhibit after lunch, but would have had to stand in a long line, so decided not to. In any case I felt I had a good experience and I knew I would enjoy the exhibit again and again as I looked at my photos at home.

Casts of Ruth Asawa's hands.

RIVER WALK, HILLSBOROUGH, NC: Reliving History at Occaneechi Village

Historic replica of Occaneechi Village, Hillsborough, NC

In late November, on a cool but bright fall day, we took a walk along the Eno River in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with our family. The Riverwalk path follows the river bank through the town park and links with other hiking trails. Not far from where we joined the trail near the Weaver Street Market we came upon Occaneechi Village, a historic replica of a native American village as it would have been in 1701.

Thatched dwelling.

At that time the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation lived on the land, growing food and hunting in the surrounding forest. The village was an important trade location where the Occaneechi people traded with Europeans as well as nearby tribes such as the Tuscarora. Many descendants of the Occaneechi tribe continue to live in Hillsborough.

Village surrounded by stockade of wooden posts.

Inside a stockade of wooden stakes are several thatched dwellings, open air shelters, places to build fires and prepare food, and other work areas.

Sample of caulking along the lower part of the stockade.

Openings between the wooden stakes could be filled with a lattice of sticks caulked with mud.

River Park path.

After exploring Occaneechi Village we continued walking along the paved path through River Park. 

Map of the Oxbow archeological site.

Signs further along the trail explained the historic significance of this location. Toward the end of our two mile walk we learned that archeological research of the ten-acre site within the oxbow bend of the Eno River has revealed that it was home to Occaneechi villages going back to 1000 A.D.

Footbridge across Eno River at Oxbow.

At the bridge near the oxbow, the trail veers away from the river bank and heads into the forest. We turned around here and headed back to our car. (A large parking garage is located near the trail head.) On our way back we passed a deer busy browsing, who paid little attention to us or other walkers.

Deer.

Occaneechi Village is located along the Riverwalk, within River Park, behind the Farmer’s Market Pavilion in Hillsborough. It is open 8am to 7pm. Hillsborough is about a half-hour drive from Chapel Hill, where our daughter and her family live.

WALK IN THE WOODS: Bromley Family Nature Reserve, Chapel Hill, NC

Bromley Family Nature Reserve, Chapel Hill, NC

We were in North Carolina for Thanksgiving and it was a beautiful fall day, so we decided to take a walk in the Bromley Family Nature Reserve, one of many local preserves with trails for hiking and biking.

Wood Duck Way is for both bikers and hikers. A number of bikes passed us on the path. Some trails are for hikers only.

After parking our car, we set off on Wood Duck Way, a circular path about 1.2 long, mostly through forest. While we saw no wood ducks, or much other wildlife, we spotted several nest boxes high in the trees where the wood ducks would lay their eggs in the spring. 

The wood duck nest box is mounted about 6 feet from the ground.

In late November, a few golden leaves still clung to the branches, but most had fallen to the forest floor. Next spring, the leafy carpet will make a soft landing place for the wood ducklings as they leave the nest and plummet to the ground. They will follow their mother's calls to the pond nearby and she will look after them. (The baby ducks can’t fly, but are able swimmers.)

Black vultures.

As we continued down the path we spotted a pair of black vultures circling overhead, the white tips of their wide wings catching the sunlight. They disappeared and a few minutes later we noticed them again, perched on a branch just above the path. What puzzled us was a third vulture, dead on the ground below them, showing no sign of what had caused its demise, and we wondered if it was being mourned by its companions.

A guide to common birds helps to identify species that make their home in the nature preserve.

Midway around the circular path we took a branch that led across a creek and to a small lake and a picnic area.

Beaver dam and lodge with "beaver deceiver" drainage pipe.

On the way to the lake, we passed a beaver dam that had a large drainage pipe going through it. A sign explained that this was a “beaver deceiver” designed to keep a steady flow of water in the creek. Beavers are important to the ecosystem but their dams sometimes cause the paths to flood during rainy periods. By draining excess water behind the dam, but leaving enough to protect the beaver lodge, the paths stay dry for hikers and bikers and the beavers are safe and happy.

Walkway to dock.

Arriving at the lake, we walked out to the dock and peered over the edge, where we spotted numerous turtles paddling about in the shallow water. They too seemed to be enjoying the mild November day. As I looked back toward the shore I could see the reflection of the trees on the shore, their shapes and colors modulated by the ripples in the water, making them seem like a Monet painting. 

Reflections.

It was time to head back to the car and the perfect end to a walk in the woods on a beautiful fall day.

 

SARAH P. DUKE GARDENS, Durham, NC: The Tranquility of Nature on a Summer's Day

Terraced gardens. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham, NC

From traditional garden flowers to native trees and plants, the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina, offers a plethora of opportunities to appreciate the beauty of nature. Paths meander down shaded paths, around a small lake, through formal planted garden beds, and across grassy lawns. 

Guide to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

I recently toured the garden when I was visiting family in nearby Chapel Hill, NC. It was a warm summer day—quite hot in the full sun, but pleasant as long as we stayed in the shade.

Shaded walkway at the garden entrance makes one feel immersed in an Impressionist painting.

After parking and purchasing our tickets, we entered at the gate and proceeded to the rose garden, and from there to the terraced gardens that are part of the Historic Gardens where the Duke Gardens began in 1934. From there we followed trails to the Asiatic Arboretum, which features plants from Southeast Asia. Then, finally, we toured the Garden of Native Plants with its wildlife garden, carnivorous plant collection, and bird viewing shelter.

Purple cone flowers (Echinacea).

It was hard to resist taking photos. Here are a few favorites:

Lily pond at Azalea Court.

Close-up of sacred lotus reveals its bizarre cone shaped center.

Shrine with view of lake and Meyer Bridge

Meyer Bridge in the W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum

A shaded bench in the native plant garden invites visitors to rest and enjoy the view.

A carnivorous plant opens its "jaws", waiting for its next victim.

A bee gathers nectar from an appropriately named beebalm (Lamiacea) blossom. Also called bergamot.

Snowballs the size of melons were in their full glory.

Every day is different at the garden, depending on the weather and time of year. On our visit we enjoyed the height of the summer bloom. The garden is open year round.

Sundial: "Nothing is worth more than this day."

For information about visiting the Duke Gardens, click here: https://gardens.duke.edu/visit