Artist

Norma Minkowitz

born New York City 1937
Born
New York, New York, United States
Active in
  • Westport, Connecticut, United States
Biography

Norma Minkowitz’s small sculptures combine crocheting and drawing. At seven, she was taught by her mother to crochet, and the artist has spent her career transforming the traditionally feminine pastime into a medium for serious sculptors. Minkowitz began to see that by skipping stitches and varying the tension of the thread she could gain more control over the shape that emerged. She often crochets around objects to create a form that evokes the human body, a plant, or an animal.

Works by this artist (4 items)

Norma Minkowitz, Shelter Structure, 1985, cotton, acrylic paint, pencil, and shellac, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Theodore Cohen in memory of his mother and her sisters: Rose Melmon Cohen, Blanche Melmon, Mary Melmon Greenberg and Fanny Melmon Liberman, 1998.122.16
Shelter Structure
Artist
Date1985
cotton, acrylic paint, pencil, and shellac
Not on view
Norma Minkowitz, The Landscape of My Mind, 1976-1978, knitted, crocheted, and padded cotton and silk with wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist in memory of her father, Alexander Chigrinsky, 1982.45A-B
The Landscape of My Mind
Artist
Date1976-1978
knitted, crocheted, and padded cotton and silk with wood
Not on view
Norma Minkowitz, Goodbye, My Friend, 2018, paper, fiber, pen and ink with collage, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of Clemmer and David Montague in honor of Camille Cook, founder of Fiber Arts International, 2020.76.2
Goodbye, My Friend
Artist
Date2018
paper, fiber, pen and ink with collage
Not on view
Norma Minkowitz, Landing, 1987, crocheted, cast, painted and shellacked cotton with pencil drawing, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John and Earlene Taylor, 1997.125.6
Landing
Artist
Date1987
crocheted, cast, painted and shellacked cotton with pencil drawing
Not on view