Artwork copyright Barbara Kasten. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The Place, 1990

Barbara Kasten
American (born 1936)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

Artist Barbara Kasten captured The Place at the Puye Cliff Dwellings in the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico. This photograph is part of her "New Mexico Series." The image shows a Kiva structure, which she describes as "the spiritual center for sacred rituals of the ancestors of the Santa Clara Pueblo." She notes, "I tried to create an image that would raise questions about the impact such sacred sites have on us, and why they are so emotionally charged. The color blue is used because in Native American belief, the roof of the Kiva is symbolic of the Sky. Universally, blue also suggestions spirituality."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Barbara Kasten is a Chicago-based artist. She creates conceptual and mixed media photographic artworks. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Arizona in 1959. She received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in sculptural textile design from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1970. She began working in photography in 1975. She taught fiber sculpture at the University of California, Los Angeles, and photography at Orange Coast College. Her works are in several major museum collections, including at the Tate Modern museum in London, England, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City.