Art And Speaking Out And September, Or, Saturday Morning at 8:34am

This week my middle sister and I went to see the Ruth Asawa exhibit at SFMOMA. Tuesday, September 2nd, is the last day of the show. As I cannot do justice to Asawa’s full story, I recommend reading her bio. But in brief, she patented structural methods, raised six children, and made things like these by bending wire.

Look at those shadows. I only wish I’d seen the show sooner, so I might have given you all more notice to visit. Quite incredible, in person, the interaction between what is made and the light and space in which they exist.

She worked on paper and fabric, too. Here, with the Black Mountain College laundry stamp.

She drew. Ginkos in their infinite wisdom.

Eventually she became interested in the branching of trees, which, unsurprisingly given nature’s love of itself, look like neurons.

If neurons threw shadows on walls. And then she can toss out a painting, “Oh this old thing? Did it in my spare time.”

I couldn’t help but imagine what Asawa’s career must have demanded. Her husband, an architect, was fully supportive. Her children helped in her work, which she often did at the kitchen table when she could. And as a Japanese-American, she lived in the SF Bay Area, where her marriage to Albert Lanier, a white man, was legal at a time when miscegenation laws still held in many states. Earlier, however, her family had been interned during WII; California was no protection in those days.

As I waited outside the museum for my sister, the curator of Asawa’s official Instagram account took this picture of me, unknowing, old lady hiking hat firmly in place. He asked if he could post it to their account, and of course I said OK. It was a “story,” and is gone now, so I thought I’d share it here as part of our ongoing series: Leaning On Walls Around The World (1/ and 2/ of 3.)

But I don’t post it just for fun. As I head into a month away from this blog, I have to bring up what we all hate to remember on this late summer Saturday morning.

Expression is political. Although I think it would be hard to put America under full censored rule, I don’t doubt that’s what those in power would like. It goes without saying that I am no Asawa. But if I can ask, consider whether even my little long-running personal blog, photos of gold shoes and hydrangeas et. alia, would keep going if the powers that be got what they wanted.

It’s so hard not to close ourselves into our communities. But there is a possible future in which someone just speaking out gets closed off from others against their will. So I call my reps as often as I can make myself, I donate, and will be volunteering to pass California’s redistricting bill once I am no longer driving buckets of flowers hither and thither.

See you in October. Have a wonderful month. Art, and justice, and family.