Manus

by Magdalena Abakanowicz

Photo Credit: Jonah Bettger 

Hand-Like Trees

by Jonah Bettger

They stretch toward the sky
Strong and unbreakable
Wanting of life,
Of new beginnings,
And scattered seed.
Reaching towards great heights,
They bend and expand
Towards the horizon.
In insurmountable storms
They carry on,
Clenching and writhing with the wind.
Still present to wave to the sun as it rises.
But what is the man?
And what is the tree?
They are both nature.
Parts of you and me.

The History of It, Like Reading Rings of a Tree

by Angelica Farley

The piece “Manus” by Magdalena Abakanowicz was created to embody the interaction of humans and nature. At first glance, the tall, bronze sculpture appears to be a disfigured tree trunk but, as you approach the piece it begins to look like hands reaching for the sky. After researching Abakanowicz and her series “Hand-like Trees” I discovered that that was precisely how she wanted the audience to perceive this piece. Abakanowicz intended for the sculpture to “explore the similarity between different creations of nature”, such as humans and trees. She wanted to embody the characteristics of tree trunks, and hands, as well as textures from other forms of nature. She placed the piece in the south section of our campus, near Sehome hill, with the intention of “linking the natural beauty of the area, such as the trees, with the human activity of campus”. Recent claims from the artist claim that “the hollow form [of Manus] resembles both a decaying, textured tree trunk with branches long removed and a gesturing, gnarled hand drawn up into a fist.”

Magdalena Abakanowicz is a Polish sculptor who is renounced for her work in creating meaningful, organic, ambiguous works. She has been creating artworks for over 40 years and has received several accolades. These accolades include several awards, doctorates, and honors. She tends to create pieces using bronze, iron, concrete or stone. By using these materials, she is able to create pieces that appear organic and natural. Abakanowicz is known for using these materials in order to distort them into appearing like something else. And example of this is in Manus, when she distorts bronze in order to look like both bark, and wrinkly skin. Recent research suggests that Abakanowicz tends to imprint her fingerprints in her more recent pieces, such as in the aforementioned, Manus.

Abakanowics is known for many series of works. Her first major work was titled “Abakans”. This series was in the making from 1966-1975 and featured an assortment of three-dimensional hanging structures, as well as dyed textural fabric pieces. She is also known for a series titled “Embryology” which features serveral stuffed, sack-like figures of varying sizes that at times, resembled monsters of sorts. These were soft-works that were made to resemble rocks, as well as animal like figures, another piece that exemplifies the parallels in nature. Another series that the is known for is the “Hand-like Trees” series that is partially showcased here at Western Washington University, as well as in Runnyside Sculpture Park in Woodside California.

The piece, Manus, that is showcased in Western Washington University’s Public Art Collection, was created within the past three decades. It was installed in the late 1990’s during the Installation art period. This meant that there was a trend of art pieces that were created for a specific site during that time period. Outdoor pieces during this time, such as Manus, were created to change your perception of the space around the statue. These outdoor installation pieces were also now considered public art displays. This trend is definitely showcased in Manus as it is an installed piece that is site-specific to it’s location to change the perception of its surroundings.

Bibliography

Clark-Lanager, Sarah. Walking With Artists Outdoor Sculpture Collection, Western Washington University. N.p.: n.p., 2006. Print.

Kitowska-Lysiak, Malgorzata, and Agnieszka Le Nart. “Magdalena Abakanowicz | Artist.” Culture.pl. N.p., Jan. 2004. Encyclopedia. 05 Feb. 2017.

Starewicz, Artur. “About Magdalena Abakanowicz.” Magdalena Abakanowicz. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 Feb. 2017.

Wal, Louis D. “Public Art Fund.” Hand-Like Trees. Public Art Form, n.d. Feb. 06 Feb. 2017.

Research completed by Angelica Farley; Photography and Poem by Jonah Bettger.