Modern & Contemporary Artists Codexery

Eva Hesse

German-born American sculptor who pioneered postminimal art.

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Eva Hesse

Ansgar Walk · CC BY-SA 2.0 de

She is known for using unconventional materials like latex, fiberglass, and plastic in her sculptures.[1][2] Her career spanned only a decade but became highly influential.[3] Eva Hesse, a sculptor who was born in Germany and later became an American citizen, is linked to the postminimal art movement.[4][2]

Hermann Hesse Calw 3
Hermann Hesse Calw 3. Image: Ansgar Walk · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Wikimedia Commons

Life and work

In December 1938, her parents sent Hesse and her sister to the Netherlands on one of the last Kindertransport trains.[5][6] The reunited family moved to England and then emigrated to New York City in 1939.[7] Hesse was diagnosed with a brain tumor in October 1969 and died on May 29, 1970, at age 34.[3][8] Hesse's mother died by suicide in 1946, following her parents' separation in 1944.[9]

Addendum by Eva Hesse, Tate Liverpool
Addendum by Eva Hesse, Tate Liverpool. Image: Rept0n1x · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Upon her 1965 return to New York, Hesse started to use latex, fiberglass, and plastic in her art.[1]

EVA HESSE GEBURTSHAUS ISESTRAßE HAMBURG - PHOTO by ANDRE CHAHIL
EVA HESSE GEBURTSHAUS ISESTRAßE HAMBURG - PHOTO by ANDRE CHAHIL. Image: Andre Chahil · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What the cited sources add

The Arts Council account states that Hesse created her first three-dimensional piece in 1962 for the Art Students League of New York.[2] The Art Story biography describes Hesse's work as mimicking the organic vulnerability of the human body.[10] The same source notes that Hesse was among the first 1960s artists to experiment with fluid contours of the organic world.[10] The BuzzFeed article also states that Hesse earned a certificate in design from Cooper Union in 1957.[11]

Eva-Hesse-Park, Teilbereich der Parkanlage Grindelberg in Harvestehude
Eva-Hesse-Park, Teilbereich der Parkanlage Grindelberg in Harvestehude. Image: Pauli-Pirat · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

According to the Eva Hesse Documentary, Hesse found it challenging to achieve artistic parity with her husband Doyle.[8]

Hesses Schreibmaschine
Hesses Schreibmaschine. Image: Thomoesch · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Eva-Hesse
Eva-Hesse. Image: Carolineandrieu · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Eva Hesse" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Josef Albers, Eva Hesse, and the Imperative of Teaching Tate", www.tate.org.uk; "Eva Hesse – The Arts Council", The Arts Council (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. "Eva Hesse – The Arts Council", The Arts Council. facts only, no text reused. web.archive.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Eva Hesse" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Eva Hesse Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.; "Eva Hesse Documentary", Eva Hesse Documentary (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Eva Hesse" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Danto, 2006, p. 33. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Eva Hesse" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Encyclopedia of World Biography", Gale, 2004, p. 365–367; SFMOMA exhibit notes, 2002 for Hamburg; Danto 2006, p.32 for family being observant Jews.; Dyke, "Stunning Vintage Photos Reveal The Brief Life Of Artist Eva Hesse", BuzzFeed, 2015-11-05 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Eva Hesse" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sutton, "Finally, a Documentary About Eva Hesse's Life and Work", hyperallergic, 16 May 2015; Corby, "Eva Hesse: Longing, Belonging and Displacement", Bloomsbury Academic, 2010-08-15, p. 133–37 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Eva Hesse" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lippard 1992, p. 6 and in the Chronology: THE ARTIST'S LIFE, p. 218.; Danto 2006, p.32. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "Eva Hesse Documentary", Eva Hesse Documentary. facts only, no text reused. evahessedoc.com
  9. Wikipedia, "Eva Hesse" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Encyclopedia of World Biography Vol. 7", Gale, 2004, p. 365–367 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. "Eva Hesse Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works", The Art Story. facts only, no text reused. theartstory.org
  11. Dyke, "Stunning Vintage Photos Reveal The Brief Life Of Artist Eva Hesse", BuzzFeed, 2015-11-05. facts only, no text reused. buzzfeed.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Eva Hesse (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Named in this entry

HamburgAbstract expressionismSol LeWittYayoi KusamaMinimalismTate Modern

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In which place was Eva Hesse born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Hamburg, Germany.

From the source: “Hesse was born into a family of observant Jews in Hamburg, Germany, on January 11, 1936.”

2. In what year did Eva Hesse die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1970.

From the source: “In October 1969, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and she died on Friday, May 29, 1970, after three failed operations within a year.”

3. In what year was Eva Hesse born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1936.

From the source: “Eva Hesse (January 11, 1936 – May 29, 1970) was a German-born American sculptor known for her pioneering work in materials such as latex, fiberglass, and plastics.”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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