Artist Research no. 10: Eva Hesse

Eva Hesse was a pioneer in sculpture/ painting/ drawing during the Minimalist movement. She was the first to utilize materials like latex, fiberglass, and plastic, although most of her work is not archival and is now giving conservators a run for their money. She was also in the forefront of a women's movement to infiltrate a male dominated art world. Her work has a humorous vein running through it that seems to mock both male superiority and the Minimalist movement as a whole. She was the propelling force that pushed Minimalism into Post Minimalism. Her sculptures alluded to the body, especially flaccid phallic forms, and her drawings directly confronted the flatness of paper. She would often "draw without paper" utilizing string, wire, and plastic. Her string sculptures hung loosely, draping in and out of themselves creating a web of space. They spoke of form and dimension, and stood up both in 3D form as well as 2D, reproduced as prints.