Backs by Magdalena Abakanowicz

Musee d'Art Modern de la Ville de Paris, Paris, 1982
credit here

Opinion: Based only on looks, I initially chose Backs because I thought it had an anti-war message, which was very powerful to me. I think there's always a better way to solve problems. However, when i researched Backs, I discovered that it was actually about conformity- a topic much more relevant to my life. 

Theory: Abakanowicz is a leader in the innovation of weaving sculpture. She said "I see fiber as the basic element constructing the organic world on our planet" (Gardner, Page 1126). In Backs, each piece was made by pressing organic fibers into a paster mold the sculpture represents the average person as indistinct in the vastness of society. Each sculpture is asexual and has slumped shoulders, communicating calmness and conformity. Although made form the same mold, there is an odd sense of individuality and distinction between the figures: each has a somewhat different posture and the textures have different patterns (Gardner, Page 1127).