Abakanowicz regarded fiber not merely as a material but as the source of all living things, and saw herself as a natural creation composed of fibers as well. Guided by the physical sensations of fiber—its temperature, texture, smell, dampness, and dryness—she explored its sculptural possibilities beyond the decorative and utilitarian functions traditionally associated with textiles. For the artist, cutting into a material, reaching inside it, and stitching it together was an intimate act, akin to touching beneath the surface of skin.
During the 1960s, she transformed textile art through her Abakans, monumental works made from linen, sisal, wool, horsehair, and other materials. These organic, spatial forms challenged the conventional understanding of weaving as a flat decorative medium. Existing somewhere between textile and sculpture, the Abakans fundamentally redefined the possibilities of fiber art.
In the 1970s, Abakanowicz developed her Alterations series, which included works such as Heads, Seated Figures, Backs, and Embryology. Using burlap, cotton gauze, rope, glue, and synthetic resins, she created multiple forms from enlarged plaster casts taken from the human body and hardened with burlap soaked in glue.
In this work, forty backs stand together, stripped of faces, limbs, and individual identity. The repetition of these hollow human forms evokes memories of war and totalitarianism experienced by Abakanowicz herself. They may be seen as representations of crowds deprived of individuality and personality, or of people living with fear and uncertainty. At the same time, these forms also recall the organic life of the natural world—forests, wetlands, plants, and animals that surrounded the artist during her childhood.
Reflecting on those early experiences, Abakanowicz wrote, “Unconsciously, I was one with the entire world of growth and decay.” This gathering of burlap and glue figures can therefore be understood not only as a group of human beings, but also as a manifestation of the cycles of growth and decay that characterize all living things. As viewers move among the figures, they become part of the installation itself, invited to reflect on the relationship between humanity and nature.