Artists have contributed to the transformation of the world since time immemorial. Regardless of the type of artwork, artists have become central players in the quest to change the world for the better. One such artist is Magdalena Abakanowicz, a Polish fiber artist and sculptor. Abakanowicz is widely renowned for her artistic use of textiles as the primary medium of sculpture. She has several works of art to her name, for instance, the Abakans, Humanoid sculptures, and Agora among others. Her prolific works saw her get recognition, through awards, from a wide spectrum of quarters, and her works studied by several researchers. The following literature review is premised on the prominence of Abakanowicz recognized through books and research works that sought to unveil the secrets or generally summarize, analyze, evaluate, and assess Magdalena Abakanowicz and her works.
Barrett, Terry. "Criticizing art." Mountain View, CA: Mayfield (1994) notes that Magdalena Abakanowicz’s major sculptural medium was fiber. The author quotes Wendy Beckett who reminisces that Magdalena’s choice of fibers stemmed from when she saw her mother’s mutilated body after being shot at by the Nazis in Poland. Henceforth, as an artist later in life, she preferred fiber terming it the most yielding and fragile, and the humblest of materials on which to work. Literally, she focused on the softness of fiber and how easily it could be manipulated. However, the figurative representation bases on her mother’s mutilated body. Barrett, however, recognizes the intricacy with which Magdalena Abakanowicz harmonized weight and height to produce gigantic sculptures with a message concealed deep within. The use of fiber gave these sculptures a unique featuring uniquely frail and seemingly airily suspended ornaments. In assessment, this source is of particular use to this general discussion. It is extremely focused and objective. In particular, the source focuses on only one aspect of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s works- medium, unlike other sources in the bibliography. Its goal, presumably, is to examine the use of fiber as a medium of sculpturing. The various premises in the source are specifically credible and unbiased given that apart from directly quoting from other people like Wendy Beckett, the author amalgamates her thoughts in the quotes to create holistic and informed standpoints. The source, therefore, is entirely helpful and beneficial to this research. In particular, it has helped me view the use of fiber by Abakanowicz differently given the sad story behind her love for fiber.