ART-IN-SCIENCE I & VII
NEA FELLOWSHIP
ART-IN-SCIENCE  I-1977. The program, initiated by the Philadelphia College of Textile and Science, invited artists to investigate the use of industrial fabrics in art and architecture. Kasuba proposed to:
  1. Investigate the tension & compression dynamics in self-enclosing stretch fabric membranes 
  2. Develop self-supporting (hardened) fabric shells 
  3. Experiment with soft weather structures that instead of resisting water would direct rain away from the area to be protected. 
During her eight week stay, with the assistance of three students the artist explored the topologies of 78 self-enclosing fabric structures, hardened 32 of them with resins, and erected 4 weather structures.
NEA FELLOWSHIP 1983. Kasuba used the NEA Fellowship to extend the exploration of self-enclosing tensile topologies developed at the Philadelphia College of Textile and Science in 1977 ---
  1. Enlarge several cutting patterns and see what happens to the shape.
  2. Harden the surfaces with commercially available resins.
  3. Find a suitable surface finish.
With the help of two assistants,  21 shells ranging in height from 18” to 9ft. were produced and hardened, and surface finishes applied. (The experience is described in more detail in the catalogue of the Inaugural Exhibition of The Ester M.Klein Gallery at the University Science Center in Philadelphia 1990).
THE INAUGURAL EXHIBIT OF THE ESTHER M. KLEIN GALLERY, 1990, at University City Science Center in Philadelphia. The exhibit, “Shaping the Future”, (Art-in-Science project VII), summed up the artist’s work in tensile fabric structures. It consisted of a walk-through fabric passageway, a family of five shells, two satellite shells, and a 9 foot tall “bone tower”. Also on display were two models of Minimal Surfaces, a model of a Shell Dwelling, The Roof Deck model, 12 collages, and 27 poster-size images of installations. 
Copyright 2017 Aleksandra Kasuba
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