The Silk Rainforest 1975

Sheila Hicks’ "Silk Rainforest" is made of vertical lines with small fiber tufts punctuating the surface. It's giving me serious forest vibes with those greens and blues. I can imagine Hicks in her studio, getting lost in the rhythm of tying those fibers, each knot a decision, a little burst of texture and color. It's a slow, meditative process, not unlike building up layers of paint, pushing and pulling until something unexpected emerges. There are so many little tufts, each like a tiny brushstroke, and when you stand back, they all come together. I’m struck by how it speaks to the bigger conversation of painting. Hicks is an amazing artist. She’s constantly pushing the boundaries of textile art, just like painters are always trying to reinvent what a painting can be. It’s like we’re all in this ongoing art conversation, and I love it!