Barbara Chase-Riboud, American and French, born 1939 Search this
Produced by:
Fonderia Bonvicini, Italian, founded 1960 Search this
Medium:
polished bronze, silk and synthetic silk
Dimensions:
79 x 52 x 32 in. (200.7 x 132.1 x 81.3 cm)
Type:
sculpture
Date:
1994
Caption:
Esteemed author and artist Barbara Chase-Riboud is celebrated for her unique abstract sculptures that combine traditional, as well as non-traditional materials, such as bronze, silk, rayon, cotton, and wool. She states, “I decided to use silk like you would use clay, sculpting it … because silk is such a strong material and it’s practically indestructible, like bronze is indestructible.”
Tantra I is part of a tripartite series that invokes the Hindu goddess Shakti, whose various manifestations include creativity, female energy, cosmic consciousness, and power. The term tantra has numerous and complex meanings within Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Within the context of Chase-Riboud’s work, tantra may allude to doctrines associated with rituals, disciplines, meditation, and sexual practices composed as dialogues between Shakti and her male consort, Shiva.
Description:
An abstract scuplture consisting of a mass of polished bronze shapes from which are suspended cascading cords of knotted silk.
