2.14.2013

Ruth Asawa




Ruth Asawa is such an icon of American art that perhaps nothing new can be said about her. But I like this YouTube video because it shows how much she loves making art, and experimenting with such humility, and with no regard for anything but process. I've been asking myself lately what inspires me. I've heard more than one artist detest this word, inspire, but I like it. To me it means to bring in fresh air. I need that, especially in the form of artists who are deeply involved in making art for what it does for their inner life and what it can offer as enrichment to others. It's the opposite of trying to deliver a specific message. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I particularly like Asawa's crocheted wire sculpture, for which she is probably best known. I found some works I'd never seen before on this blog, and then went over to her website here. Asawa learned crochet in Mexico in the 50's. She also studied at Black Mountain College with Josef Albers among others. I want to do more research on Black Mountain, because something incredible was happening there back in those days.





2.11.2013

Castle in the Classroom: Julia de Burgos Elementary School


Need some inspiration? Here it is! This wonderful teacher is showing kids that they can be an artist no matter what. And she uses James Castle, the self-taught American artist who was born in Idaho, was deaf and poor, and still made his art, as her example. I love how she brings so many elements of things we deal with in the modern world together to show that those are the very things from which we make art. 






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