I visited the Textile Museum last week to see the Sheila Hicks exhibit, Material Voices. This link will take you to Hicks’ site with photos of the full range of her work. The large wrapped and coiled structures are exuberant, brightly coloured and impressive. The show in Toronto contains some of these and also excellent videos of the installation of her enormous architectural pieces.
Bas-relief panel for an architectural project.
But it was the small framed pieces which intrigued me, her minimes. From the museum: “Working on a small scale provides her with the freedom to investigate colour, line and form; to test new techniques and to respond directly to her lived experiences. Indeed when she leaves her house or studio, Hicks often carries with her the small loom she build in the 1950’s should inspiration arise.”
I loved the thought of carrying a small frame and weaving on the spot. Testing out ideas in small hooked pieces is something I’ve been doing in the last few months–although in the studio, not on location! I have two big projects in mind and I’m taking my time working things out in my small mats.
By the way, I’ve updated both the Rug Hooking Gallery and the Leather Gallery to include all my work for the last year. It’s good record of what I’ve tried and helps me see where I want to go next. Check these out by clicking the link under Navigation on the right hand side of the blog page.
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