Eva Hesse - American Sculptor

            Everyone has experience some sort of loss or displacement in their life to a certain extent. Whether it be the loss of a loved one, moving away from one's homeland, or something more interpersonal. Over the course of the semester, we have looked at a number of artist's who utilize concepts of loss and related themes, such as, melancholia and mourning. One artist in particular stands out to me, especially when focusing on such concepts, is Eva Hesse. The work of Eva Hesse has been described as "the vicissitudes of her own life." (Foster 546). What Hal Foster means by this statement is that Hesse was dealt with a number of scenarios and encountered a number of experiences throughout her lifetime in which there has been (or was forced upon) unpleasant change and misfortune. When an individual is forced with a situation in which this type of change is occurring, these themes of focus work in conjunction with that situation and, are most of time, the end result. .
             As I begin to analyze the work of Eva Hesse more so in a visual physicality realm, these ideas and concepts of loss are very much obvious. Hesse uses these "vicissitudes" and experiences throughout her life, and portrays it through her work not only physically but even more conceptually as well. The work of art itself, as far as the type of medium and materials being used, expresses the thematic in discussion. We get to understand Eva Hesse more so as a person and get to see the number of organic social relationships that were lost pertaining to her add to the work on a conceptual level regarding to loss and mourning. Finally, Germany was experiencing a decline of the nation-state in the early years of her life and it can be applied to her concepts in her artwork. These three aspects and experiences all work in conjunction with one another to clearly explain and decode not just the work of art itself, but more so on Eva Hesse as a person.