Stairs (These Stairs Can Be Climbed) 1974

Alice Aycock constructed this set of wooden stairs at an unknown date. Just looking at it, I can imagine how the artwork came into being, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. Sympathizing with Alice, I imagine what it might have been like to create this piece. Maybe she was thinking about the material aspects of construction, like texture, surface, and the physicality of the medium. Each plank forms a step, like a word in a sentence, and each step communicates feeling, intention, or meaning. Alice is definitely on a journey, and she is taking us with her! This piece relates to her wider practice and body of work, as well as the work of other sculptors who embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning. Artists are always in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.