RECOMMENDEDHANDLINGINSTRUCTIONS:RUTHASAWASCULPTURE
February1,2016
RuthAsawa’siconic,largeloopedwiresculpturesrequirespecialhandling.Onlyqualifiedarthandlers
shoulddothiswork.
SculptureFacts
• Theyarefragileeventhoughtheyaremadeof
flexiblewire.
• Theyarenotcollapsible.Oncethewireloops
bend,theystaybentuntiltheyareconservedto
theiroriginalform(andrebendingwirecan
affectpatina).
• Theyarenotheavy.Smallsculpturescanweigh
onlyafewpounds.Longer,bulkierpiecescan
weighbetween20-35lbs.Thelargestpieces
maybeonly50lbs.
• Thesafestpositionisvertical,suspendedbya
hangingwireandswivelatthetopofthe
sculpture.
TheBestArtHandlersWe’veObserved
• Havegoodflexibilityandphysicalagility.Thesetwotraitsaremoreimportantthan
strengthsincethesculpturesarereasonablylightweight.
• Workasateamandarewillingtotakethetimetoreadtheseinstructions.
• Rehearsehowtheywillmovethesculptureinadvance,withladders(orlifts)inposition
toreducetheamountoftimeasculpturemustbecarried.
WARNINGtoARTHANDLERS
• Neverrestasculptureonthefloor.Thismaycausethelarger,roundlobestobecome
deformed.
• Neverpickupasculpturewithoutknowingexactlywhereitwillhangandexactlyhowitwill
gettothehanginghook.
• Alwayswrapthenarrowneckswithtissuepaper
andbubblewrapbeforeattemptingtomovethe
sculpture.
• Donotsqueezethenecks,cradlethemsecurely,
butgently.
• NevermoveanAsawasculpturebyholdingthe
larger,roundlobes.
• Takeparticularcaretoprotectlobeswithinterior
forms,asthesearesomuchmoredifficult,ifnot
impossible,toconserve.
• Whenmovingthesculptureeitherverticallyor
horizontally,neverallowthelobestocollapseinto
eachother(orjamup).Thesuspensionshouldbe
maintainedsothatthelobesdonotcollapseupor
downintooneanother.
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RECOMMENDEDHANDLINGINSTRUCTIONS:RUTHASAWASCULPTURE
February1,2016
Installationfromthecrateinverticalposition(preferred)
• Movethepackingcrateascloseaspossibletowherethesculpturewill
hang.
• Attacharopeandpulleytothehanginghookintheceilingtoraisethe
sculpturefromthecrateuptothedesiredposition.
• Attachoneendoftheropetemporarilytoahangingwireatthetopofthe
sculpture’sswivel.
• Haveonehandlerraisethesculpture,withotherhandlersgentlyguiding
thesculptureoutofthecrate.
• Byusingaropeandpulley,thesculptureisliftedfromthetophanging
mechanism,whichmaintainsthesculpture’stensionandlessensthe
chanceofdamagetothelobesbymishandling.
• Finalizethehangingmechanismwiththesculpturesecurelytiedoff.
Installationfromthecrateinahorizontalposition(ifnecessary)
• 3-4handlersshouldrehearsehowthesculpturewillbemovedfromitshorizontalcratetoits
finalinstallationspot,including
o insuringthatanypulleys,installationS-hooks,orotherhangingaidsarepreparedin
advance
o knowingthepaththehandlerswilltake(doors,steps,corners)
o properplacementofladdersorlifts,andtheabilitytomoveupanddownthemeven
ifbothhandsaresupportingthesculpture
o makinganyrequiredtoolsreadilyavailable
o understandingthatwhoevercontrolsthetopofthesculpture,doesthelifting.
Theotherhandlerssimplyguideandassist,butneverliftupward.
Inthediagramright,therearefourhandlers.
Blueiscontrollingthepulleyanddoesthelifting.
Redholdsthehangingwireandfirstneck;green
cradlesthe2ndand3rdnecks,andpinkcradles
thelastneckandthebottomlobe.Thenarrow
necksareprotectedbytissuepaperandbubble
wrapwhichisremovedonlyafterthesculpture
isinitsverticalposition.
Whenmovingthesculpture,keepthelooped
sculptureasstraightaspossible.Preventthe
necksfrombendingbyhavingthehandlersmove
intandem(babysteps)whilemaintainingthe
tensionoftheoverallsculpture.Thenecksare
themostflexiblepartsofthesculpture,butoverbendingthem(orallowingthemtojamupor
collapseintotheadjacentlobes)candamagethe
wirelooping.
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RECOMMENDEDHANDLINGINSTRUCTIONS:RUTHASAWASCULPTURE
February1,2016
Inthediagramright,thehandlercontrollingthe
pulleyeasilyraisesthesculptureintoitsvertical
position.Theotherhandlerscradlethenecks
gentlyandguidethesculptureasitbecomes
vertical.Letthehandlerpullingtheropedo
thelifting.Oncethesculptureisraisedinto
position,youcantieofftheropeandfinalizethe
installation.
ExamplesofImproperHandling
Below,thelobeabovetheneckhas beendamaged.Mostlikelythe
handlerheldontothetheneckand
Thehandlerheldthesculptureby
liftedupward,jammingand
theexteriorlobe,dentingthe
crushingthewireintotheupper
loopinganddeformingits
lobe.
symmetry.
Thehandlerdidnotlift
thesculpturebythe
hangingwire.Instead
shegrabbedthetopof
thesculpturecrushing
thelooping.
Securingthesculptureinposition
Onceyouhaveraisedthesculpturetothedesiredposition,useawovenleaderwire/cablethatis
attachedtothetoploopoftheswivelfoundatthetopofthesculpture.Werecommendusingaheavy
cablewith2metalsleevestightlycrimpedateachendofthecable.Oncethecableandsleeveshave
beenattachedtothesculptureandceilinghook,youcanremoveanyadditionalinstallationaids
(pulleyandrope,S-hooks,etc.)
Sculpturesarepackeddifferentlyforvariousreasons.Pleasemake
sureyouhavephotographedthepackingmethodpriortounpacking
themsothatyoucanputthemback.Yourabilitytorepackthese
safelymaynotbeintuitive.Protectingthepatinaisimportant.
Intheexampleright,
• Thenarrowneckswereprotectedwithbubblewrapandtissue
paperpriortomovingitintothecrate.
• Thissculpturewasthenattachedtothetopofthecrate.
• Fivetwo-partcollarsmadeofEthaFoam220holdthesculpturein
placeduringtransit.This85”tallsculpturecansafelytravel
upright,vertically,orhorizontally.
• Inaddition,tissuepaperwascrumpledandplacedaroundthetop
andbottomlobestoimmobilizethem(notshown)priortoclosing
thecrate.
Whenindoubt,pleasecontacttheEstate.
Email:[email protected]
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RECOMMENDEDHANDLINGINSTRUCTIONS:RUTHASAWASCULPTURE
February1,2016
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