Liberty Bell

Liberty Bell, a 1976 woodblock print, takes an unexpected subject for an artist primarily associated with seascapes and abstract water imagery. The American symbol of independence, created to commemorate the nation's bicentennial, represents a rare foray into culturally specific iconography for Iwami, whose work generally avoided identifiable objects in favor of elemental natural forms. The bell shape, with its smooth curves and the famous crack that rendered it mute, offered Iwami a form that could be abstracted without losing its essential identity. The 1976 date aligns with worldwide bicentennial celebrations, and Iwami may have created this print for an exhibition or commission related to the anniversary. The work reveals the range of her visual thinking, applying the same sensitivity to form and light that she brought to ocean horizons to a man-made object laden with historical meaning.