A first encounter with Magdalena Abakanowicz' installation, entitled Girls,
is somewhat unnerving because all of these sculptural figures are headless. The
Girls (Puellae) in the sculpture garden of The National Gallery in
Washington, D.C. may initiate questions about identity, and the potential loss
of identity. This group of slender figures are uniformly aligned in an
upright, rigid posture as if awaiting instructions like young
schoolgirls. Their forms harmonize with the natural setting among the
trees of the sculpture garden. The bronze color blends with tree trunk
bark, and surfaces reflect natural sunlight to establish a serene
atmosphere. The headless forms harmonize with nature, even as the incomplete
body is an assault to nature.
This particular group may be suggestive of imposed uniformity or a
group’s ability to resist oppression. Magdalena, who has an ouevre
of sculptural installations with groups of headless figures, grew up in Poland
during World War II. The atrocities of
war were not erased from the artist’s memory, as she pursued her own creative
expression.
This reoccurring theme of the headless human figures may also trigger
interest in the sculptor’s personal life. Magdalena was born in 1930 to
an affluent family in Poland, but experienced the trauma of Nazi occupation in
World War II. Her mother’s arm was severed by the brutal gunfire of
drunken soldiers at the family’s estate. Despite political hardships,
Magdalena was to develop an avenue for personal expression through the arts.
And yet, she does not intend sociopolitical interpretations of her work, but
generally prefers to address universal issues about the human condition in
mythical terms.
The continued preoccupation with figurative groups reflects her interest
in collective behavior. So, even though the Girls are unable to utter a
word, the art form speaks quite fluently.
Note: a massive steel sculpture by Mark di Suvero is adjacent to the installation of Girls, and is included in the photograph above.
An explanation about this sculpture is provided by the National Gallery of Art at:
References:
Inglot,
Joanna. The Figurative Sculpture of
Magdalena Abakanowicz: Bodies,
Environments and Myths. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2004.
Magdalena
Abakanowicz. 2006.
Studio S.
Preble, Duane and Sarah. Artforms, 5th
edition. New York: HarperCollins, 1994.
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