Modern Art, in the American sense of things, is painted. But, recently, museums and critics have been “discovering’ the expressive qualities of art made from other materials. The art was there all along, to be truthful.

Chaine et trame interchangeable (translation: Interchangeable warp and weft)

https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/visual-arts/2019/05/11/dallas-museum-of-art-could-snag-another-sheila-hicks-piece-for-its-collection/

During the summer, The Nasher Museum in Dallas, Texas hosted a breathtaking installation by Sheila Hicks. She did not just appear on the International Art Scene, she was not recently discovered, she has been an influential art-maker for decades. That she lived to be 84 and is still lending a hand in her own installations may have a lot to do with her enduring influence.

She studied painting with Joseph Albers and came into the orbit of his wife, Anni, a textile-designing, loom-wielding artist in her own rights.

Hicks forged her own path, but never lost touch with her teachers. Not only the Albers but also anonymous indigenous  spinners and weavers through out the Americas.

I was thrilled beyond words to be introduced to her during a meeting with the education department in preparation for her exhibit. Yo can see how big my smile is in this photo. 

Why do I love her work? I love her work for its simplicity of concept. The art is about shape and form and space... principles of Art. The materials are not asked to take the place of paint, but rather to be exactly what they are: yarn, rope, threads, fabric, colors, textures. 

I loved being in her presence and  seeing her tearing yellow and pink fabric strips with her crew.  

Draw Like an Egyptian

I am under the impression that humans are the only creatures who draw deliberately.  Animals and insects, even the weather, can make beautiful marks but these are not conscious acts of embellishmnet.  If you peel the bark off a stick, you might find beautiful tracings of insects but those marks were made in the search for food or shelter not to decorate the stick. At some point in ancient history, a human replicated a pattern from nature as decoration for a personal object.  Drawing has probably always been a part of human culture. 

I find it fascinating that traditional ceramic bowls from all over the world bear similar marks.  Some are drawings of animals and people, some are lines and patterns derived from nature.  Abstract expressions in art begin in these observations of the natural world.

Jar with Drawing of Boat and Passengers

The Egyptians were drawing a long time before the Pharaohs commissioned massive memorials to themselves.  In fact, drawing seems to be at the heart of Egyptian art- observing and interpreting the physical world and spiritual ideals. In museums we only see a sliver of their rich visual life.  Objects made from stone or terra cotta survived in the best shape (and were easiest to haul to Europe for museums, but that is another topic). Drawings that were made on stone or terra cotta seem to be as fresh as they were the day they were made.

Cat and Mouse Drawing on Stone

Papyrus, a predecessor to paper, is made from a reed that bears the same name.  An image of the plant in full bloom is frequently used as a decorative motif in Egyptian art. It was an essential material for those who lived along the Nile and is useful for all kinds of purposes. In addition to a paper-like surface for drawing and writing, the reeds could be bound together into boats, mats, furnishings, hats, screens and other useful objects. 

When you have a chance to look at a drawing made by an Egyptian Artisan, take your time.