Quanta of Space

The Bosom Sculpture of Ibram Lassaw

First-ever book on the jewelry designs of Ibram Lassaw (1919–2003)

Offers a new and comprehensive introduction to this lesser-known part of the oeuvre of one of America’s most distinguished exponents of Abstract Expressionism

Ibram Lassaw’s wearable sculptures are inspired by his extensive and wide-ranging reading on topics as varied as Zen Buddhism, cosmology, and quantum physics

Exhibition: Quanta of Space: The Bosom Sculpture of Ibram Lassaw at Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa (September 9 to December 3, 2023)

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.

Edited by Zeughaus Teufen, Lilia and David Glanzmann

Book design by Norm, Zurich

Paperback

112 pages, 119 color and 3 b/w illustrations

16 × 24 cm

978-3-03942-166-4 English / German sFr. 29.00 | € 29.00 | £ 25.00 | $ 35.00

AUGUST 2023 (Europe)

FEBRUARY 2024 (US)