Rosemary Mayer
Rods Bent Into Bows Fabric Sculptures and Drawings 1972-1973
04 Sep - 19 Dec 2020
Rods Bent Into Bows – Fabric Sculptures and Drawings 1972-1973 is the first solo exhibition of Rosemary Mayer (b.1943, New York – 2014) in Europe. The title takes its name from notes found on one of Mayer’s sketches, one of many drawings she made for the planning and documenting of her sculptures. This exhibition is the first time since the 1970s that much of this work is being shown and includes some drawings which will be on display for the first time. The show focuses on a critical point in her production, 1972–1973, during which Mayer actualized her fabric sculptures and related drawings, a body of work for which she is most known.
Between 1969 and 1973, Mayer’s art developed from conceptual works, including abstract studies of color, into sculptures experimenting with the medium of fabric and its mutable possibilities of form. She began working with fabric in 1970, initially by deconstructing paintings, removing the canvas from stretchers and exploring the possibilities of canvas on its own. By 1972 she was working with various fabrics, determining new combinations and modes of display. Balancing (1972) epitomizes this important period of experimentation. It is composed of two bent acrylic rods, suspended by cords to create sail-like shapes upon which Mayer has draped and attached fabric in shades of pink.
In an unpublished article from 1973, Mayer explains her attraction to the material: “Like liquids and natural phenomenon, fabric too is subject to gravity and natural forces. Its forms are accidental and inevitable. Like waves in water or leaves on trees, in reality fabric forms are never the same. Only when reproduced in a two dimensional medium can fabric forms be seen still and definite. Fabric is a man-made substance which shares the visual characteristics of natural phenomena.”
By 1973, she had further developed her practice formally and conceptually. Her 1973 work, Hroswitha was named after the medieval German poet and dramatist, reflecting her growing interest in various historical women who became the inspiration for a series of sculptures. These works consist of translucent swathes of colorful fabrics – silks, cheesecloths, and nylons – adhered to a largely concealed wooden structure. Through the use of bent wooden bows, these works move away from the wall and project into space, as well as indicate a symbolic departure from painting.
These works evoke myth and history in a manner radically distinct from the approach of minimalist male artists, who favored durable materials such as steel and concrete. In the employment of draped, layered, and suspended fabric, Mayer implicates the visceral and the unseen, or, in her words, a “presence caught in thin veils, films of color on color.” Through her historical evocations and use of traditionally feminine materials, Mayer shines new light upon these overlooked women, while inserting herself into a historically male tradition of commemoration and monument-making.
Her fascination with the history of women was informed by her involvement in a feminist consciousness-raising group as well as A.I.R. Gallery, the first artist- directed and maintained gallery for and by women artists in the United States. In 1972, Mayer, along with 19 other artists, founded the space as a platform for artistic opportunity and inclusivity, during a period dominated by male artists. Mayer participated in the inaugural exhibition and had a solo show there the next year. Rods Bent Into Bows includes archival documentation of this seminal exhibition, which included three of her sculptures: Hroswitha (1973), Galla Placidia (1973), The Catherines (1973).
Between 1969 and 1973, Mayer’s art developed from conceptual works, including abstract studies of color, into sculptures experimenting with the medium of fabric and its mutable possibilities of form. She began working with fabric in 1970, initially by deconstructing paintings, removing the canvas from stretchers and exploring the possibilities of canvas on its own. By 1972 she was working with various fabrics, determining new combinations and modes of display. Balancing (1972) epitomizes this important period of experimentation. It is composed of two bent acrylic rods, suspended by cords to create sail-like shapes upon which Mayer has draped and attached fabric in shades of pink.
In an unpublished article from 1973, Mayer explains her attraction to the material: “Like liquids and natural phenomenon, fabric too is subject to gravity and natural forces. Its forms are accidental and inevitable. Like waves in water or leaves on trees, in reality fabric forms are never the same. Only when reproduced in a two dimensional medium can fabric forms be seen still and definite. Fabric is a man-made substance which shares the visual characteristics of natural phenomena.”
By 1973, she had further developed her practice formally and conceptually. Her 1973 work, Hroswitha was named after the medieval German poet and dramatist, reflecting her growing interest in various historical women who became the inspiration for a series of sculptures. These works consist of translucent swathes of colorful fabrics – silks, cheesecloths, and nylons – adhered to a largely concealed wooden structure. Through the use of bent wooden bows, these works move away from the wall and project into space, as well as indicate a symbolic departure from painting.
These works evoke myth and history in a manner radically distinct from the approach of minimalist male artists, who favored durable materials such as steel and concrete. In the employment of draped, layered, and suspended fabric, Mayer implicates the visceral and the unseen, or, in her words, a “presence caught in thin veils, films of color on color.” Through her historical evocations and use of traditionally feminine materials, Mayer shines new light upon these overlooked women, while inserting herself into a historically male tradition of commemoration and monument-making.
Her fascination with the history of women was informed by her involvement in a feminist consciousness-raising group as well as A.I.R. Gallery, the first artist- directed and maintained gallery for and by women artists in the United States. In 1972, Mayer, along with 19 other artists, founded the space as a platform for artistic opportunity and inclusivity, during a period dominated by male artists. Mayer participated in the inaugural exhibition and had a solo show there the next year. Rods Bent Into Bows includes archival documentation of this seminal exhibition, which included three of her sculptures: Hroswitha (1973), Galla Placidia (1973), The Catherines (1973).