Text by Phong H. Bui, Eric Shiner, Yayoi Shionoiri.

Rubins’ sculptural feats of engineering create delicate compositions from kayaks, airplane parts and more

Over the past five decades, California-based artist Nancy Rubins (born 1952) has transformed everyday objects into dynamic, otherworldly assemblages in a multitude of scales, dimensions and mediums. Fluid Force presents a comprehensive survey of Rubins’ gravity-defying sculpture and invites us to linger on her investigations of materiality. The works range from early explorations of wood and clay to two-dimensional photo-collages and graphite sculptural drawings, to complex sculptures comprising found domestic objects (such as televisions, toasters and hair dryers) and large salvaged objects such as boats, mattresses and airplane parts.
Rubins’ fascination with form and matter is unmistakable. With over 90 photographs and new texts by Phong H. Bui, Eric Shiner and Yayoi Shionoiri, Fluid Force is a much-needed publication that celebrates Rubins’ extensive career and her brilliance in uniting the worlds of art and engineering. Her work serves as a reminder that what appears solid and static is in fact in a constant state of change.

• Steidl, 2024
• Softcover, 136 pages
• 8 x 10 inches