Accession II

I have always loved the fetishistic quality of Eva Hesse’s sculptures, and Accession II (1968-69) is no exception. An open cube made of steel screens perforated with innumerable flaccid vinyl tubes discloses an interior that is dense, bristling, and sensuous. The hard geometry and precision of Minimalism is evoked but disrupted, replaced with a tactility that is both alluring and grotesque.

Eva Hesse. Accession II; galvanized steel and vinyl; 30.75 x 30.75 x 30.75 in. Courtesy of the Detroit Institute of Arts.