Repetition Nineteen III 1968

These nineteen, translucent, slightly wonky cylinders were made by Eva Hesse from fiberglass and polyester resin. They're not exactly the same, but they are similar. I love how the subtle variations in texture and color become so important when you see them all together. They're kind of ghostly, like a gathering of translucent beings. Look at the surface; see how the light plays through the layers of resin? It's both solid and ethereal at the same time. It looks like the result of a repetitive process, a kind of slow, deliberate build-up. Each one has its own character, its own little wobble or lean. It's a beautiful example of how art can be both precise and messy, how it can embrace the imperfections of the process. They remind me of Ruth Asawa’s hanging sculptures, similar use of repetition. Hesse's work always leaves space for ambiguity.