Backs 1976 - 1980

Editor: Here we have Magdalena Abakanowicz's "Backs" from the Tate collection, a series of figures made of what appears to be fabric. The material gives them a rough, almost organic feel. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Note the repetitive process inherent in the creation of each figure. Consider how the labor shapes our understanding, and how the material speaks to mass production and the individual's place within it. What impact do you think the visible process of construction has on the viewer? Editor: It makes them feel vulnerable, like they've been pieced together. I never thought of it that way. Thanks! Curator: The texture and repetitive form highlights the tension between the individual and the collective, and the means of production within that.