Winged Trunk

Magdalena Abakanowicz

1989

A monumental sculpture in wood, burlap, rope, and welded steel that pairs a weathered, bound tree trunk with a broad, wing‑like metal plane to evoke bodily presence, memory, and the tension between nature and industry.

You’re immediately struck by the contrast of the knotted, fibrous log—wrapped in fraying burlap and rope—against the smooth, somber arc of metal rising like a dark wing, a balance of weight and suggestion of flight or absence.

Part of Abakanowicz’s exploration of organic materials and textile techniques, this work broadened late‑20th‑century sculpture by fusing craft and monumental form to confront collective memory, vulnerability, and the traces of the human body.

Palette

Art Terms

Sculpture Assemblage Found object Textile Contemporary art Investigating identity Organic

Exhibitions

The Museum Collection of Sculpture

1946

Sculpture from the Collection

1972

Sculptors' Drawings

1986

Sophie Taeuber-Arp

1981