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Abakanowicz, Magdalena [1930-2017. Poland. Sculptor/Weaver/Tapestry Designer/Textile Artist]
Abakanowicz, Magdalena [1930-2017. Poland. Sculptor/Weaver/Tapestry Designer/Textile Artist]
Magdalena Abakanowicz was born in Falenty, Poland, on 20 June 1930. After briefly attending the Akademia Sztuk Pieknych (Academy of Fine Art) in Gdansk (1949-50), she studied at the Akademia Sztuk Pieknych (Academy of Fine Art) in Warsaw, where she trained as a weaver and textile artist under Eleonora Plutymska, Maria Urbanowicz and Anna Siedziewska. (1950-55). After graduating from the Academy she worked as an independent fibre artist and weaver. She also taught at the Panstwowa Wyzsza Szkola Sztuk Plastycznych [now Akademia Sztuk Pieknych (Academy of Fine Arts) in Poznan, where she was a professor (1965-90).
Solo exhibitions of Abakanowicz's work have been held in Warsaw (1960, 1963, 1965, 1967 - venues not known); Galerie Alice Pauli in Lausanne, Switzerland (1967, 1971); the Kunstindustrimuseet in Oslo, Norway (1967); the Stedelijk Van Abbe-Museum in Eindhoven, The Netherlands (1968); the Stedelijk Museums in Arnhem and Schiedam (1969); the Södertälje Konsthall in Södertälje, Sweden and the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden (1970); Pasadena Art Museum in Pasadena, California (1971); the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen in Düsseldorf (1972); Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, England (1973); the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois (retrospective, 1983); Xavier Fourcade Gallery in New York City (1985); Turske a. Turske Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland (1988); Mucsarnok Palace of Exhibitions in Budapest, Hungary (1988); Stadel Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt, Germany (1989); Marlborough Gallery in New York City (1989, 2000, 2005); Marlborough Fine Art, London, England (1990); Galerie Pels-Leusden in Berlin, Germany (1990); Richard Gray Gallery in Chicago, Illinois (1990); Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz, Poland (1991)
Sezon Museum of Art in Tokyo, Japan (1991); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (1992); Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art in Hiroshima, Japan (1993); P.S.1 Museum in New York City (1993); Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, and Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania (1993); Fundacio Miro in Mallorca, Spain (1994); Marlborough Gallery in Madrid, Spain (1994); Kordegarda Gallery in Warsaw, Poland (1994); Naradowa Galeria Sztuki Wspólczesnej Zacheta in Warsaw and Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz, Poland (1994); Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, England (1995); Manchester City Art Galleries in Manchester, England (1995); Centrum Rzezby Polskiej in Oronsko, Poland (1995); Centrum Sztuki Wspólczesnej in Warsaw (1995); Muzeum Narodowe w Gdansku in Gdansk, Poland (1996); Kunthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen Denmark (1996); Oriel Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno, Wales (1996); Kulturhuset in Stockholm (1996); Grant Selwyn Fine Art in Beverly Hills, California (2001); Kunst-Station Sankt Peter Koln in Cologne, Germany (2001); Wydawnictwo Hotel Sztuki in Warsaw (2003); Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro in Milan, Italy (2009).
She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions since the 1960s, including the Biennale internationale de la tapisserie in Lausanne at the Musée Cantonal des Beaux Arts in Lausanne Switzerland, on several occasions; and 'The Art Fabric: Mainstream' at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, California (1981, toured 1981-83)
Abakanowicz is one of the most documented modern Polish textile artist. Her work has been the subject of innumerable articles and several books and exhibition catalogues. Her experience during World War Two and the ideological and spatial restrictions placed on her during the postwar years in Poland have shaped her art. In an interview in 1985 she commented that she chose weaving as an initial artistic outlet as she wanted to get as far as possible from established forms; from this she developed her woven sculptures, being attracted by the `inherent mystery' of wools and fabrics. She has travelled extensively and 1976 visited Australia where she exhibited in Sydney and Melbourne.
Abakanowicz was awarded honorary doctorates by the Royal College of Art in London, England (1974); Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island (1992); the Akademia Sztuk Pieknych - ASP, in Lodz, Poland (1998); Pratt Institute in New York City (2000); Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, Massachusetts (2001); Akademia Sztuk Pieknych in Poznan (2002); and the School of the art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois (2002). Other honours and awards she has received include the Grand Prix at the 8th Bienal Internacional de Arte in São Paulo (1965); Commander Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1998); Officier de L' Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Paris, France (1999); and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Sculpture Centre in Hamilton, New Jersey (2005).
She was an honorary member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, Germany; the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City; and the Sachsische Akademie der Kunste in Dresden, Germany.
Abakanowicz's work is included in the permanent collections of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; the Museum of Modern Art in New York City; the Museu de Arte Moderna in São Paulo, Brazil; the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Zurich, Switzerland; the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC; the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri; Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire; Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois; Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas; the Israel Museum in Jerusalem; the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina in Greenboro, North Carolina; and in several public collections in Poland.
Abakanowicz died in Warsaw, Poland on 20 April 2017
DESIGN RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS (DRP) ©
Solo exhibitions of Abakanowicz's work have been held in Warsaw (1960, 1963, 1965, 1967 - venues not known); Galerie Alice Pauli in Lausanne, Switzerland (1967, 1971); the Kunstindustrimuseet in Oslo, Norway (1967); the Stedelijk Van Abbe-Museum in Eindhoven, The Netherlands (1968); the Stedelijk Museums in Arnhem and Schiedam (1969); the Södertälje Konsthall in Södertälje, Sweden and the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden (1970); Pasadena Art Museum in Pasadena, California (1971); the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen in Düsseldorf (1972); Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, England (1973); the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois (retrospective, 1983); Xavier Fourcade Gallery in New York City (1985); Turske a. Turske Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland (1988); Mucsarnok Palace of Exhibitions in Budapest, Hungary (1988); Stadel Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt, Germany (1989); Marlborough Gallery in New York City (1989, 2000, 2005); Marlborough Fine Art, London, England (1990); Galerie Pels-Leusden in Berlin, Germany (1990); Richard Gray Gallery in Chicago, Illinois (1990); Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz, Poland (1991)
Sezon Museum of Art in Tokyo, Japan (1991); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (1992); Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art in Hiroshima, Japan (1993); P.S.1 Museum in New York City (1993); Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, and Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania (1993); Fundacio Miro in Mallorca, Spain (1994); Marlborough Gallery in Madrid, Spain (1994); Kordegarda Gallery in Warsaw, Poland (1994); Naradowa Galeria Sztuki Wspólczesnej Zacheta in Warsaw and Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz, Poland (1994); Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, England (1995); Manchester City Art Galleries in Manchester, England (1995); Centrum Rzezby Polskiej in Oronsko, Poland (1995); Centrum Sztuki Wspólczesnej in Warsaw (1995); Muzeum Narodowe w Gdansku in Gdansk, Poland (1996); Kunthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen Denmark (1996); Oriel Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno, Wales (1996); Kulturhuset in Stockholm (1996); Grant Selwyn Fine Art in Beverly Hills, California (2001); Kunst-Station Sankt Peter Koln in Cologne, Germany (2001); Wydawnictwo Hotel Sztuki in Warsaw (2003); Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro in Milan, Italy (2009).
She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions since the 1960s, including the Biennale internationale de la tapisserie in Lausanne at the Musée Cantonal des Beaux Arts in Lausanne Switzerland, on several occasions; and 'The Art Fabric: Mainstream' at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, California (1981, toured 1981-83)
Abakanowicz is one of the most documented modern Polish textile artist. Her work has been the subject of innumerable articles and several books and exhibition catalogues. Her experience during World War Two and the ideological and spatial restrictions placed on her during the postwar years in Poland have shaped her art. In an interview in 1985 she commented that she chose weaving as an initial artistic outlet as she wanted to get as far as possible from established forms; from this she developed her woven sculptures, being attracted by the `inherent mystery' of wools and fabrics. She has travelled extensively and 1976 visited Australia where she exhibited in Sydney and Melbourne.
Abakanowicz was awarded honorary doctorates by the Royal College of Art in London, England (1974); Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island (1992); the Akademia Sztuk Pieknych - ASP, in Lodz, Poland (1998); Pratt Institute in New York City (2000); Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, Massachusetts (2001); Akademia Sztuk Pieknych in Poznan (2002); and the School of the art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois (2002). Other honours and awards she has received include the Grand Prix at the 8th Bienal Internacional de Arte in São Paulo (1965); Commander Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1998); Officier de L' Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Paris, France (1999); and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Sculpture Centre in Hamilton, New Jersey (2005).
She was an honorary member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, Germany; the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City; and the Sachsische Akademie der Kunste in Dresden, Germany.
Abakanowicz's work is included in the permanent collections of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; the Museum of Modern Art in New York City; the Museu de Arte Moderna in São Paulo, Brazil; the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Zurich, Switzerland; the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC; the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri; Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire; Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois; Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas; the Israel Museum in Jerusalem; the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina in Greenboro, North Carolina; and in several public collections in Poland.
Abakanowicz died in Warsaw, Poland on 20 April 2017
DESIGN RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS (DRP) ©
Female Figures / Standing Figures, 1985–86, by Magdalena Abakanowicz
Bibliography
1. Constantine, Mildred and Larsen, Jack Lenor. Beyond craft: the art fabric. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1973
2. Constantine, Mildred and Larsen, Jack Lenor. The art fabric: mainstream New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981
3. Inglot, Joanna. The figurative sculpture of Magdalena Abakanowicz: bodies, environments, and myths Berkley, California: University of California Press, 2004 [Based on the author’s Ph.D. dissertation, submitted to the University of Wisconson-Madison in 1997]
4. Rose, Barbara. Magdalena Abakanowicz. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, 1994
1. Constantine, Mildred and Larsen, Jack Lenor. Beyond craft: the art fabric. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1973
2. Constantine, Mildred and Larsen, Jack Lenor. The art fabric: mainstream New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981
3. Inglot, Joanna. The figurative sculpture of Magdalena Abakanowicz: bodies, environments, and myths Berkley, California: University of California Press, 2004 [Based on the author’s Ph.D. dissertation, submitted to the University of Wisconson-Madison in 1997]
4. Rose, Barbara. Magdalena Abakanowicz. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, 1994
Weblinks
Art Institute of Chicago
Artcyclopedia
Artnet
Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Oxford Art Online [Subscription service]
Christopher Masters. ‘Magdalena Abakanowicz obituary’ The Guardian 24 Aporil 2007
Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online [Subscription service]
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Tate
Wikipedia
Wikipedia [Text in Polish]
YouTube. Magdalena Abakanowicz – 6 minutes
YouTube. Magdalena Abakanowicz – Retrospektywa – 45 minutes (in Polish)
Art Institute of Chicago
Artcyclopedia
Artnet
Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Oxford Art Online [Subscription service]
Christopher Masters. ‘Magdalena Abakanowicz obituary’ The Guardian 24 Aporil 2007
Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online [Subscription service]
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Tate
Wikipedia
Wikipedia [Text in Polish]
YouTube. Magdalena Abakanowicz – 6 minutes
YouTube. Magdalena Abakanowicz – Retrospektywa – 45 minutes (in Polish)