Convergence I 2001

Editor: Here we have Sheila Hicks’ "Convergence I" from 2001. It's fibre art, a weaving. I’m struck by the texture; it looks both meticulously crafted and strangely organic at the same time. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the process, the labour involved in its making. The material itself, the fiber, dictates so much. It speaks of a hands-on, almost meditative creation. Does the regular patterning not remind you of the industrial loom? Editor: It does, but isn't it pushing against that, too? Like it's reclaiming the industrial by hand? Curator: Precisely! Think about the Pattern and Decoration movement it's associated with. This wasn’t just about pretty surfaces; it was a challenge to the established art world, asking, what constitutes 'high art'? This work uses "low" craft material to achieve a sense of space and formal composition usually associated with painting and sculpture. Editor: So, it's almost subversive in its material? Challenging the hierarchy of art? Curator: Absolutely. And what about its social context? Who traditionally made these textiles, and where? Who got to display them? Consider those questions while thinking about "Convergence I". Does the texture remind you of other contexts than that of fine arts? Editor: I suppose the textile brings warmth. Weaving brings a more approachable side of an artist than most other "higher" media. Curator: It seems we agree. This fibre artwork brings to mind not just the textile process itself, but invites us to consider it as both craft and formal investigation, imbued with political content. Editor: This definitely gives me a lot to think about. Thank you! Curator: The pleasure was all mine! Hopefully it’ll help appreciate art for its inherent power of human making and its engagement in our shared realities.