Sheila Hicks - Lianes Colsa, (detail), 2020
‘Thread is the universal language. It could become a hammock, or a fishing net, or a hat, or a home… It’s the first thing you feel in the morning when you wake up in your bed sheets, then you step on a rug, you pick up a towel…’ - Sheila Hicks.
Another fabulous textile-focused exhibition at Alison Jacques Gallery so soon after the wonderful exhibition of the Gee's Bend Quiltmakers which I also saw here back in January. Sheila Hicks studied at Yale University under Josef Albers (1888–1976), and there learned a variety of
weaving techniques which were taught to her personally by the renowned textile artist
Anni Albers (1899–1994). Through Josef and Anni Albers, Hicks immersed
herself in the ideas of the Bauhaus and Modernism. Hicks was previously
inspired by Raoul d’Harcourt’s book Les textiles anciens du Pérou et leurs techniques, [Textiles
of Ancient Peru and Their Techniques] (1934) to explore the subject of
cultural appropriation and then turned from painting to textiles as a medium through which to express herself. A grant enabled her to spend time in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Mexico where she developed a close association to the architect Luis Barragán (1902–1988). Hicks sees her practice and textiles in general as an essential element of architecture. This attitude is influenced and expounded upon by the practice-oriented
approach of architect and theoretician Gottfried Semper (1803–1879), who
explored the context between nature, textile, architecture, and space. The majority of artworks in this exhibition were created during the pandemic lockdowns, and are focused on suspended bas-relief sculptures in various natural fibres –
linen, cotton, silk – that encourage a certain manner of 'visual
listening'. In this respect Hicks has a similar ideology to painters such as Whistler, Kandinsky and Harald Sohlberg (here), who tried to equate the power of musical harmonies through visual representations with their work in paint on canvas. ‘Usually, sound enters through your ears,’ Hicks says of
these newly produced works, ‘but I invite participation and perception
through your eyes. One can detect subtle harmonies, discover intricate
structures, complex sequences, and enjoy an infinite range of colours,
as when you listen to music.’ ‘Music to My Eyes’ amounts to a visual concert. Just as instruments are
arranged in order to heighten their collective impact, so too have these
sculptural objects and reliefs been orchestrated to elicit an instant
sensory and emotional response. ‘To be here and now, seeking harmony’,
Hicks says of her intentions with the exhibition. ‘To make immediate
impact and, hopefully, leave lasting impressions.’ Mission accomplished I'd say, this exhibition was indeed music to my eyes.
