Labyrinth of Communication

The round form of Sheila Hicks’ Labyrinth of Communication evolved from her interests in moving away from the rectangular format usually associated with tapestry. Like church labyrinths, Hicks’ tapestry bas-relief blurs boundaries between art, design, and architecture. It is part of a series that began with a circular work made for AT&T's headquarter building (Basking Ridge, New Jersey, which she considered a communications disk with spin offs and circuitry springing out into space. The title of this work comes from Hicks’ feeling that it is “acrobatic and labyrinthian” to communicate ideas and feelings. Reflecting on Labyrinth of Communication, Hicks wrote, ”There is a powerful centering composition but the visual voyage is complex and fanciful. The spiritual exercise of CENTERING and focus is capital in all religious practices. This tapestry bas-relief was made entirely by hand with a repetitive wrapping technique resembling the recitation of the prayer rosary or Tibetan prayers, or Muslim prayer beads, or Hebrew prayer shawls.”