Quanta of Space

Remembered as a pioneering and prolific Abstract Expressionist artist of otherworldly sculptures, Ibram Lassaw (1913–2003) is less known for his wearable sculptures. Like his large-scale works, the “Bosom Sculptures,” with their innovative use of alloys, were inspired by Lassaw’s readings on such varied topics as Zen Buddhism, cosmology, and quantum physics. Lassaw’s welded and braised necklaces, though simple in design, remind us of everything from sea anemones to nebulae, with their elaborate biomorphic tendrils and interconnected clusters.

Published to coincide with an exhibition at Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, Quanta of Space: The Bosom Sculpture of Ibram Lassaw features 37 unique pendants and necklaces alongside nine full-sized sculptures that Lassaw created between 1938 and 1996. Supplemental essays by Nancy G. Heller, professor emerita at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia; Denise Lassaw, the artist’s daughter, collaborator, and archivist; and Marin R. Sullivan, scholar of art history and curator, offer insight into his life and times and illustrate Lassaw’s contribution to Modernist studio jewelry.