Paper Work
Ed Rossbach
American, 1914–2002
1968
A braided, lattice-like object made from newspapers wrapped in pale green plastic and lashed with plastic twine, in which Rossbach adapts traditional weaving and braiding techniques to everyday, disposable materials to blur craft and sculpture.
From a distance it reads as a soft, plaited rope or textile—looping, interlaced forms and a muted green sheen invite touch, while up close the newsprint and the dark twine’s tension reveal a tension between fragile paper and industrial material.
Rooted in the postwar fiber-art movement, this piece helped push textile practices into the realm of fine art by using humble, mass-produced materials to question material value and the boundary between craft and sculpture.
Medium
Newspaper, plastic, and plastic twine
Dimensions
13 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 1 1/2" (34.3 x 16.5 x 3.8 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
NEA Architecture and Design Fund and Purchase
Accession
109.1989
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
