Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6

Ruth Asawa
Bronze Flower Sculpture Plaque

1979

About the Item

Ruth Asawa Bronze Flower, 1979 Cast Bronze relief plaque with original presentation box 5 1/4 × 6 1/4 × 1/4 inches Numbered from the Edition of 2500 Signed and dated 'Asawa 1979' (lower edge) incised in the bronze; numbered; stamped "Designed Exclusively for Crown Zellerbach Corporation"; foundry copyright Cast at the Berkley Arts Foundry for Crown Zellerbach Ruth Asawa's estate is represented by David Zwirner. This beautiful, limited edition signed cast bronze flower plaque makes a distinctive and original gift! It bears the artist's incised signature and is uniquely numbered from the limited edition of 2500. In 1979, the Crown Zellerbach Corporation of San Francisco, which had worked closely with her on neighborhood arts programs, commissioned Asawa to make a series of bronze bas-relief plaques, including this beautiful piece, which were cast by the Berkeley Arts Foundry. Cast at Berkley Arts Foundry for Crown Zellerbach Another example of this work was exhibited in the show "On Black Mountain: The Bauhaus Legacy in America", April 5, 2019-April 27, 2019 at the Sager Braudis Gallery in Columbia, Missouri. It is reproduced on page 13 of the exhibition catalogue. Unframed Ruth Asawa Biography American artist, educator, and arts activist Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) is known for her extensive body of wire sculptures that challenge conventional notions of material and form through their emphasis on lightness and transparency. Born in rural California, Asawa was first exposed to professional artists while her family and other Japanese Americans were detained at Santa Anita, California, in 1942. Following her release from an internment camp in Rohwer, Arkansas, eighteen months later, she enrolled in 1943 in Milwaukee State Teachers College. Unable to receive her degree due to continued hostility against Japanese Americans, Asawa left Milwaukee in 1946 to study at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, then known for its progressive pedagogical methods and avant-garde aesthetic environment. Asawa's time at Black Mountain proved formative in her development as an artist, and she was particularly influenced by her teachers Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller, and the mathematician Max Dehn. She also met architectural student Albert Lanier, whom she would marry in 1949 and with whom she would raise a large family and build a career in San Francisco. Asawa continued to produce art steadily over the course of more than a half century, creating a cohesive body of sculptures and works on paper that, in their innovative use of material and form, deftly synthesizes a wide range of aesthetic preoccupations at the heart of postwar art in America. Asawa’s work has been exhibited widely since the early 1950s, including early solo exhibitions at Peridot Gallery, New York in 1954, 1956, and 1958. In 1965, Walter Hopps organized a solo exhibition of the artist’s sculptures and drawings at the Pasadena Art Museum (now Norton Simon Museum) in California, where Asawa completed a residency at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop the same year. Other solo presentations include those held at the San Francisco Museum of Art (1973); Fresno Art Museum, California (2001; traveled to Oakland Museum of California, 2002); de Young Museum, San Francisco (2006); Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas (2012); and Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena, California (2014). In 2018 to 2019, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. Louis presented Ruth Asawa: Life’s Work, the first major museum exhibition of the artist’s work in more than a decade. An accompanying catalogue published by Pulitzer Arts Foundation and Yale University Press includes essays by Aruna D’Souza, Helen Molesworth, and Tamara H. Schenkenberg. The two-person exhibition, Lineage: Paul Klee and Ruth Asawa was on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2021. In 2022, Ruth Asawa: Citizen of the Universe was on view at Modern Art Oxford, England, and later traveled to the Stavanger Kunstmuseum, Norway. Opening September 16, 2023 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York is Ruth Asawa: Through Line, a solo presentation which will later travel to the Menil Drawing Institute in Houston. The artist’s works have also been included in significant group exhibitions, including Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933–1957, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (2015; traveled to Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, and Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio, 2016-2017); America Is Hard to See, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2015); Revolution in the Making: Abstract Sculpture by Women, 1947–2016, Hauser & Wirth, Los Angeles (2017); Making Space: Women Artists and Postwar Abstraction, The Museum of Modern Art, New York (2017); The Pencil Is a Key: Drawings by Incarcerated Artists, The Drawing Center, New York (2019); and In a Cloud, in a Wall, in a Chair: Six Modernists in Mexico at Midcentury, Art Institute of Chicago (2019). A selection of the artist's work was presented at the 59th Venice Biennale, The Milk of Dreams (2022). In addition to her wire sculptures, Asawa is well known for her public commissions, particularly in San Francisco and the wider Bay Area. These include the much beloved Andrea fountain in Ghirardelli Square (1966-1968) and the San Francisco Fountain outside the Grand Hyatt Union Square (1970-1973), the latter of which includes hundreds of baker’s clay images molded by local schoolchildren, friends, and other artists cast in bronze. Upon moving to San Francisco in 1949, Asawa, a firm believer in the radical potential of arts education from her time at Black Mountain College, devoted herself to expanding access to art-focused educational programs. She co-founded the Alvarado School Arts Workshop in 1968 and was instrumental in the creation of the first public arts high school in San Francisco in 1982, which was renamed the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts in her honor in 2010. The artist’s work is represented in prominent museum collections, including Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas; de Young Museum, San Francisco; Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; San Jose Museum of Art, California; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Asawa has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. The Estate of Ruth Asawa has been represented by David Zwirner since 2017. The gallery’s inaugural solo exhibition of the artist’s work took place the same year in New York, and was accompanied by an extensive publication that includes texts by Tiffany Bell and Robert Storr and features an illustrated chronology. In 2020, the gallery’s London location presented Ruth Asawa: A Line Can Go Anywhere, which was the first major presentation of the artist’s work outside of the United States. In 2021, Ruth Asawa: All Is Possible was on view at the gallery’s 20th Street location in New York. -Courtesy David Zwirner
  • Creator:
    Ruth Asawa (1926, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1979
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 6.25 in (15.88 cm)Width: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)Depth: 0.125 in (3.18 mm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    very good condition with natural and normal oxidation of bronze - natural/organic color change of patina.
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1745215910682

More From This Seller

View All
LOVE replica sculpture Artist Copyright Indianapolis Museum & Foundation Stamped
By Robert Indiana
Located in New York, NY
Robert Indiana LOVE (Official Artist Copyright and Foundation Stamp), 2011 Brushed Aluminum sculpture (Red) Stamped by artist's estate, Stam...
Category

2010s Pop Art Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

LOVE (Pink) sculpture, official replica with Indianapolis Museum of Art stamp
By Robert Indiana
Located in New York, NY
Robert Indiana LOVE (Pink), Artist Authorized, with Incised Indianapolis Museum of Art & Morgan Foundation Stamp and Artist Copyright, 2011 Brushed Aluminum (Pink) and Stamped with M...
Category

2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal

LOVE (Authorized replica, official stamp of Indianapolis Museum of Art & artist)
By Robert Indiana
Located in New York, NY
Robert Indiana LOVE (Sculpture Stamped with Indianapolis Museum and Artist Stamp), 2009 Brushed Aluminum (Gold) Stamped with Artist's Copyright & Indianapolis Museum of Art/2011 Morgan Art Foundation/ARS, NY Stamped/incised w/text: "Authorized Replica/Robert Indiana/LOVE/Indianapolis Museum of Art/2011 Morgan Art Foundation/ARS, NY 3 × 3 × 1 1/2 inches Unframed Since first appearing on the Museum of Modern Art’s 1965 Christmas card, Robert Indiana’s “LOVE” quickly permeated the popular imagination, appearing everywhere from life-size sculptures to government-issued stamps. The design’s appeal was timeless, yet also emblematic of the idealistic and free-loving 1960s. As art legend has it, Indiana was first bemused and later conflicted about the instant runaway success of his design, worried that it may have ruined his reputation among the art world elite as a one-hit wonder. Despite the artist’s private insecurities, “LOVE” remains one of the most treasured works in 20th-century American sculpture—breaking $4.1 million at auction in 2011. Another edition from this authorized, artist approved series recently sold at Christie's in Paris for over $12,000. LOVE (Limited Edition Artist Authorized, with Incised Indianapolis Museum of Art & Morgan Foundation Stamp and Artist Copyright). This is a limited edition artist authorized miniature of the Indianapolis Museum of Art's giant outdoor...
Category

Early 2000s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal

CAT Catalogue Raisonne Ref: Knight, CR-406 cast bronze sculpture British artist
By Gerald Laing
Located in New York, NY
Gerald Laing Cat, 1983 Cast bronze (hollow core cast) Bears artists full incised signature, artist's copyright logo, as well as stamped signature on the front, Edition 1/9 13 1/2 × 8 3/4 × 6 1/2 inches A magnificent cast bronze sculpture, rarely seen on the market by Gerald Laing, one of the leading British artists of his generation. Catalogued as CR-406 in the 2017 Catalogue Raisonne published by Lund Humphries and the Estate of Gerald Laing. One of only nine editions. This work was acquired from the Estate of distinguished Pop Art collector Arthur C. Carr of Columbia University , who befriended many of the artists whose works he collected. Editions of this work were exhibited in the following venues: GERALD LAING: SCULPTURE 1968 - 1999 The Fine Art Society 148 New Bond Street London UK 22 March - 15 April 1999 GERALD LAING Albert Totah Gallery 152 Wooster Street New York City New York USA, 24 January - 21 February 1987 GERALD LAING PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURE 1963-1983 Herbert Art Gallery Jordan Well Coventry UK 10 September - 9 October 1983...
Category

1980s Pop Art Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Adam Kadmon ("Vision"), Kabbalistic Jewish Russian sculpture signed & inscribed
By Grisha Bruskin
Located in New York, NY
Grisha Bruskin Adam Kadmon (Vision), Signed and signed dedicated to art historian and collector Jacob Baal Teshuva), 1992 Steel Sculpture (Signed, Dated & Dedicated) 6 × 6 × 3 inche...
Category

1990s Surrealist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

House in Motion
Located in New York, NY
Buky Schwartz House in Motion, 1986 Welded steel 10 1/2 × 6 1/4 × 6 1/2 inches This is a unique work The sculpture is an upside down house with two human figures. It is ingeniously ...
Category

1980s Constructivist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Steel

You May Also Like

"Draped Figure" Sassafras & Bronze, Figurative Sculpture, 1982
Located in Detroit, MI
"Draped Figure" is a beautiful example of Tazian's ability to meld the smooth texture of wood and the hard texture of bronze into an exquisite object to view, hold or caress. The piece balances perfectly on its stone base and can be easily turned to enjoy from all angles. Like architects Eliel Saarinan and Albert Kahn and sculptor Corrado Parducci, Tazian is an immigrant creative who has found a home in the city, nurtured by its energy and sheltered by its community. He developed an early ambition to become an artist, even though he had very little exposure to the arts. ““The only person [who encouraged me] was my 5th grade English teacher, Olivia Balian,” he says. “She really opened the doors of art for me. She said, ‘Those students who are interested in art can stay behind after school and I will show you how to paint and draw.’ Somehow [that] changed my life– she gave me that spark.” Tazian came to the U.S. to study at St. Francis College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree in art and a Master’s in Art Education, and then earned and MFA in sculpture from Wayne State University in Detroit. Kegham Tazian is an award-winning sculptor and painter. The Armenian-born artist has gained notoriety for the diversity of his work and the variety of media exemplified in his pieces. A blend of modernism, realism and abstraction are commonly depicted in his paintings and sculptures. His artwork has been represented in more than 40 solo exhibitions and more than 75 group exhibitions throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. His work adorns the entrances and halls of major corporations, universities and municipalities, including Siemens Corporation, Huntington Bank, Wayne State University and the city halls of Farmington and Farmington Hills...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Bronze

Entwined Bodies, Bronze Sculpture by Sophia Vari
By Sophia Vari
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Sophia Vari, Greek (1940 - ) Title: Entwined Bodies Year: circa 1985 Medium: Bronze Sculpture, Signature and number inscribed with foundry stamp Edition: 4/6 Size: 12.5 x 2...
Category

1980s Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Modern Bronze Abstract Skeletal Lion Animal Sculpture
Located in Houston, TX
Modern bronze sculpture of a skeletal lion resting on a slab of black polished granite. Beautiful patina on the bronze that accentuates the intricate details.
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Granite, Bronze

Morris Brose "Bronze Bull" Figurative Sculptural Abstract
Located in Detroit, MI
"Bronze Bull" is an exquisite example of Morris Brose's abstract/figurative sculpture. No soft edges on this piece and no invitation to caress, the power, strength and beauty of the bronze are front and center and create awe. "Bronze Bull" is a free-standing piece signed on the base. Morris Brose, Polish/American was born in Wyszkow, Poland. He became a sculptor and instructor of sculpture at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Wayne State University and Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Cranbrook was designed by architect and faculty member, Eliel Saarinen who collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on chair and furniture design. Numerous creative artists who are alumni of Cranbrook include: Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen, Donald Lipski...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Cast Bronze Organic Husk Wall Mounted Abstract Textured Sculpture Seena Donneson
By Seena Donneson
Located in Surfside, FL
This is an abstract Flora based hand made, cast sculpture done by Seena Donneson an acclaimed woman artist. A textured abstract bronze with deep, rich patina; The sculpture is signed...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Cast Bronze Organic Husk Wall Mounted Abstract Textured Sculpture Seena Donneson
By Seena Donneson
Located in Surfside, FL
This is an abstract Flora based hand made, cast sculpture done by Seena Donneson an acclaimed woman artist. A textured abstract bronze with deep, rich patina; The sculpture is signed...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Recently Viewed

View All