A key figure in establishing the postminimalist art movement of the 1960s,Eva Hesse reinvigorated modern sculpture with new use of materials such as latex, plastics, and more. As a growing Nazi sentiment spread in her hometown of Hamburg, Hesse and her family were forced to escape growing danger and persecution, fleeing to New York. Her new life in New York continued to see tragedy, first when her parents split, then her mother’s subsequent suicide when Eva was 10. However, her younger years were also spent finding her love of art, an avenue she turned to in helping her cope with her mother’s tragic passing. She studied at various institutions, including Pratt and Cooper Union, eventually landing at Yale University to study under Josef Albers, graduating in 1969. Inspired by the Abstract Expressionists, Hesse created thickly impastoed paintings and corporeal object-like sculptures she exhibited at Brooklyn Museum. During this period she met sculptor Tom Doyle, who she would marry in 1962, and befriended artist Sol LeWitt, whose geometric style would greatly influence her practice. Hesse returned to Germany for a brief period and began experimenting with plaster and string to make her subtly provocative Ringaround Arosie (1965). Her return to New York saw the end of her marriage and marked a distinct turning point in her artistic career, focusing solely on sculpture and pioneering the use of new materials. In Schema and Sequel (1967-69) Hesse brushed layer upon layer of latex to create rippled, molded circles. Her Accession series features cubes of metal turned into soft looking bristles. Her later works were highly acclaimed both during her lifetime and after, included in prestigious and influential museum and gallery shows of the late 1960s. Her flourishing career was cut tragically short after she lost her battle with a brain tumor in 1970 at the age of 34. Hesse’s innovation in abstract art and forms continues to inspire artists working today.
