Artist Maren Hassinger On The Evolution Of ‘Women’s Work’
After 40 years in the art world, Maren Hassinger has mounted more than 100 shows across the country. She got her start in fiber arts but also does sculpture, film and performance pieces, using an array of materials from tree branches to plastic bags.
She is highly awarded with the Women’s Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award and the Anonymous Was A Woman Award under her belt. She is also the director of the Rinehart School of Sculpture at the Maryland Institute and College of Art.
Currently, she has an exhibit at the Spelman College Museum Of Fine Art. “Maren Hassinger…Dreaming” includes Super 8 films, wound-up newspapers that form an opaque veil and pink bags of air with love notes inside them. It’s an eclectic mix of Hassinger’s current artistic focus on the relationship between nature and industrialism.
Last week, Hassinger was in Atlanta to do a performance piece called “Women’s Work.” In the piece, she teaches several other performers (performers are generally whoever is available in the space) how to manipulate newspaper into fiber. Then, she takes the lengths of fiber and makes a sculpture for the audience.
She first performed “Women’s Work” in 2006 in Paris with several female curatorial assistants. Since 2006, though, the piece has transformed: “It’s called ‘Women’s Work’ because initially back in 2006 in Paris, it was women’s work. But, as I’ve done this piece over and over again, it’s now becoming everybody’s work.”
“Maren Hassinger…Dreaming” will be on display until May 16.
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