MAGDALENA ABAKANOWICZ The stoic, everyday tough-
ness of the human spirit has been the subject of Polish fiber artist
Magdalena Abakanowicz(b. 1930). A leader in the recent explo-
ration in sculpture of the expressive powers of weaving techniques,
Abakanowicz gained fame with experimental freestanding pieces in
both abstract and figural modes. For Abakanowicz, fiber materials
are deeply symbolic:
I see fiber as the basic element constructing the organic world on
our planet, as the greatest mystery of our environment. It is from
fiber that all living organisms are built—the tissues of plants and
ourselves....Fabric is our covering and our attire. Made with our
hands, it is a record of our souls.^31
To all of her work, Abakanowicz brought the experiences of her
early life as a member of an aristocratic family disturbed by the dis-
locations of World War II and its aftermath. Initially attracted to
weaving as a medium that would adapt well to the small studio space
she had available, Abakanowicz gradually developed huge abstract
hangings she called Abakans that suggest organic spaces as well as
giant pieces of clothing. She returned to a smaller scale with works
based on human forms—Heads, Seated Figures,and Backs—multi-
plying each type for exhibition in groups as symbols for the individ-
ual in society lost in the crowd yet retaining some distinctiveness.
This impression is especially powerful in an installation of80 Backs
(FIG. 36-50). Abakanowicz made each piece by pressing layers of
natural organic fibers into a plaster mold. Every sculpture depicts
the slumping shoulders, back, and arms of a figure of indeterminate
sex and rests legless directly on the floor. The repeated pose of the
figures in 80 Backs suggests meditation, submission, and anticipa-
tion. Although made from a single mold, the figures achieve a touch-ing sense of individuality because each assumed a slightly different
posture as the material dried and because the artist imprinted a dif-
ferent pattern of fiber texture on each.
JEFF KOONSWhile many contemporary artists have pursued
personally meaningful agendas in their art, others have addressed
society-wide concerns, for example, postmodern commodity cul-
ture. American Jeff Koons(b. 1955), who was a commodities bro-
ker before turning to art, first became prominent in the art world for
a series of works in the early 1980s that involved exhibiting common
purchased objects such as vacuum cleaners. Clearly following in the
footsteps of artists such as Marcel Duchamp (FIG. 35-27) and Andy
Warhol (FIG. 36-24), Koons made no attempt to manipulate or alter
the objects. More recently, he has produced porcelain sculptures,
such as Pink Panther (FIG. 36-51), in which he continued his im-
mersion in contemporary mass culture by intertwining a magazine
centerfold nude with a famous cartoon character. Koons reinforced
the trite and kitschy nature of this imagery by titling the exhibition
of which this work was a part The Banality Show.Some art critics
have argued that Koons and his work instruct viewers because both1000 Chapter 36 EUROPE AND AMERICA AFTER 194536-50Magdalena Abakanowicz,80 Backs,1976–1980. Burlap
and resin, each 2 3 high. Museum of Modern Art, Dallas.
Polish fiber artist Abakanowicz explored the stoic, everyday toughness
of the human spirit in this group of nearly identical sculptures that
serve as symbols of distinctive individuals lost in the crowd.36-51Jeff Koons,Pink Panther,1988. Porcelain, 3 5 1 8 –^12
1 7 . Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (Gerald S. Elliot Collection).
In the 1980s Koons created sculptures that highlight everything wrong
with contemporary American consumer culture. In this work, he
intertwined a centerfold nude and a cartoon character.1 ft.
1 ft.