Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink drawing by Ruth Asawa. It dates from 1948 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled is a drawing created by Ruth Asawa around 1948, using stamped ink on fabric sheeting. It is a grid of repeating shapes, primarily circles and lines, that form a dense pattern.
Technique & Style
Asawa employed a simple stamping tool to create the intricate design, layering marks to achieve texture and depth. The resulting effect combines the precision of a mechanical process with the unpredictability of handmade work.
Subject & Meaning
The work reflects Asawa's exploration of organic forms through drawing and printmaking, using repeated patterns to create a hypnotic web. The dense, layered marks evoke a sense of texture and dimensionality.
History & Provenance
Asawa, born in 1926 to Japanese immigrant parents, created this work after experiencing internment during World War II. The drawing is now part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ruth Aiko Asawa (Japanese: 浅和 愛子, Hepburn: Asawa Aiko; January 24, 1926 – August 5, 2013) was an American modernist artist primarily known for her abstract looped-wire sculptures inspired by natural and organic forms.
