Over the last 40 years, Maren Hassinger has built a body of work that explores identity politics and the goal of human equality. Yet she differs from many artists of her generation in that her approach has not been confrontational or continually self-referential. Instead, she has woven her thoughts and ideas into naturalistic sculptures made from branches, leaves, wire, even twisted and knotted paper. Hassinger’s approach is very intentional. Her compositions take us to a natural landscape—free from gender, race, and economic status—reminding us that we all share the same basic human needs, wants, and desires. This common ground shifts the focus from those differences that keep us apart to the discovery of similarities that bind us together. This was particularly apparent in Hassinger’s recent retrospective, “Dreaming,” at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. …see the entire article in the print version of November’s Sculpture magazine.
