R E V IE W E D
Warren
Seelig:
Textile
per se
Maryland Institute College of Art
Baltimore,
m d
Dec. 4,2009-Mar. 14,2010
mica.edu
By Sarah Tanguy
For Warren Seelig, understanding the phe-
nomenon of textile has always been primary.
Vital to this pursuit has been exploring
light, shadow and line as physical entities
full of metaphoric potential. In his experi-
mentation with material, he lets individual
properties drive the search. Each new step
in building up a surface represents a discov-
ery that tells him what to do next, with the
goal of releasing and, ultimately, making
present the material’s chi. As the final form
emerges, so too the ideas. His empathy with
materials and the importance of connecting
to the physical world remain the pillars of
his œuvre.
This retrospective covered nearly four
decades, from early woven pieces to recent
Shadowfields and affirmed Seelig as one
of the most influential and revolutionary
figures in his field and beyond. New ways
to think about textile, fabric and weaving
abound, while precise construction and
unfettered imagination are evident through-
out. In addition to the 43 principal works,
the show included examples of his critical
writing, ephemera and preparatory works,
as well as the monumental
Drawing W rit
Large,
2009. A collaboration between Seelig
and
m i c a
students, the installation, made
from 14,000 translucent and opaque-colored
sipping straws, took over Leidy Atrium
with its sinewy yet staccato presence.
Seelig explains his 1969 epiphany when
he first peered into a loom and watched
thousands of intersecting threads grow,
like a living skin or membrane, into a cloth.
The repetitive process mesmerized him,
suggesting infinite expansion beyond the
Top left:
C o n ju n c tu re ,
1978, dou-
ble woven cotton, rigid
polyester inserts, 7 x
8 x I'/s in.
Bottom left:
M o n te g o ,
1983, warp-
faced grosgrain cotton,
aluminum frame,
52 x50 m.
Right:
B lu e O v a l,
1994, stain-
less steel spokes, frame,
lathe-turned counter-
weight, vinyl-coated
mesh, 124 x 92 x 18 in.
1
Seelig’s empathy with materials and the
importance o f connecting to the physical
world remain the pillars o f his ce livre.
034 amcrican craft june/july io
www.WorldMags.net & www.Journal-Plaza.net
B lu e O v a l
photo Jack Ramsdale /
M ontego
collection of Cranbrook Academy o f Art Museum.
