Artwork copyright Lynn Basa. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Lynn Basa. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Traps, 1985

Lynn Basa
(American, born 1954)

Location: Harrison Middle School, Sunnyside

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Traps is a weaving by artist Lynn Basa created on a small lap loom designed by the artist's father. Basa describes how the layered geometric design and composition of the piece is meant to reflect on womanhood, and references: "incongruous things trying to fit together, partially obscured, the chaos hanging together by a grid. I think that is a reflection of a woman's life in this society-- putting on different faces to please in all the different roles we play."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Sunnyside School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Lynn Basa creates public art sculptures, conceptual paintings, works on paper, textiles, and assemblages. She lived in Seattle from 1977 to 2002 and credits that time as her formative years as an artist. She worked for the Seattle Arts Commission and as an art reviewer for the Bellevue Journal-American. She was also a curator for the art collections at Safeco Insurance (1981-1984) and the University of Washington Medical Center (1984-1999). Basa has been a full-time artist since 1999.
Basa received a Bachelor of Arts degree in ceramics from Indiana University in 1977 and a Master of Public Administration degree in public art policy and administration from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1981. She went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in studio art from the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. She also studied at the Gobelin Tapestry Workshop in France. She currently lives and works in Chicago.