Licensing

Tied Wire Sculptures

Narrator: Aiko Cuneo, Ruth Asawa's daughter

Transcription

The tied wire sculptures are called tied wire because they’re tied in bunches with a smaller piece of wire. The bunches are divided, and then these newly created smaller bunches are tied, and then divided again. So, it’s a series of tying and dividing, tying and dividing, tying and dividing. Later on, Ruth’s tied wire sculptures became more geometrical. Instead of using only wire ties, she had to use sauder to keep the wires from shifting. The tied wire sculptures are made with open centers, or tightly bunched, closed centers. Some are mounted on wood bases, some are suspended from the ceiling, and others are mounted on the wall.