Plane Trees
1965
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in black on Rives BFK paper
Dimensions
sheet: 48.5 x 63.5 cm (19 1/8 x 25 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith
Accession Number
1983.18.183
Art Historical Context
Created in 1965, Ruth Asawa’s “Plane Trees” is a compelling lithograph that showcases the artist’s keen interest in organic forms. Best known for her intricate wire sculptures, Asawa here turns to printmaking to explore the graceful lines and textures of plane trees, using bold contrasts of black ink on Rives BFK paper to suggest the trees’ distinctive mottled bark and spreading branches. Lithography, a technique in which the artist draws directly on a stone surface, allows for fluid, expressive marks and rich tonal depth. Asawa’s choice of this medium highlights her versatility, translating ...
About the Artist
Ruth Asawa
Ruth Asawa (1926–2013), born Ruth Aiko Asawa in Norwalk, California, as the fourth of seven children to Japanese immigrant farmers Umakichi and Haru Asawa, grew up on a truck farm where she honed her artistic eye sketching natural forms in the sand. During World War II, her family endured separation under Japanese American internment; while most were held at Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas—wh...