Sheila Hicks Woven Works Exhibition in Chelsea

The forms, colors and skillful craftsmanship of Sheila Hicks' works are overwhelmingly stunning and quietly stirring.  As a student at Yale, Hicks studied under Josef Albers, renowned geometric colorists whose work influenced many other artists of the mid 20th C.  It appears a "stretch" to weave a connection between her prestigious professor & her own works, but Hicks' interplay of color and intricate, woven geometric patterns are radiant.  The most arresting piece is the floor to ceiling woven "ropes" in muted tones of pale yellows & whites which unfurl & foam as if a waterfall.  The back gallery has a sculpture with bounds of yarns & silken threads of a similar, shimmering color pallet.  These graceful forms render changing hues as in sunrises over fields of tethered straw.  In vivid & dynamic contrast are the totemic wool sculptures in a multitude of bright colors, bound together but offset to give a rippled, kinetic  structure.  The individual shapes are also wound in golden threads.  These pieces are inspired by her time spent in Chile where Hicks photographed weavers and archeological sites.  The Sikkema & Jenkins Gallery exhibiting Hicks' works is well worth visiting.  The woven works have a very sensual, tactile attraction and colorful intensity that render her works appealing.