Candace Hicks: Notes on String Theory
Notes on String Theory, an exhibition created by artist Candace Hicks, features numerous canvases which represent a page from a notebook. These canvases are all hand-embroidered and delicately detailed, each with its own unique design, including spirals, spiders, and a regular page that feels just a bit “off.” Hicks uses these pages to convey the idea of blank pages and the multiple opportunities and risks they hold. There are countless options as to what a page can become, and Hicks gives viewers a few options as to what it could be.
Where did the name of the exhibition, Notes on String Theory, come from? How is String Theory used in your works?
I love a good pun. String Theory is an attempt to explain matter at the largest and most minute scale. My project does not postulate a new theory in physics, but it is made from string/embroidery thread. I also make embroidered books about coincidence called Common Threads.
What was your process like for creating this installation?
I start by transferring the design to the canvas with pencil. Sometimes I design the pattern on a computer. I sew the lines with embroidery floss, and I stretch the canvas onto wood panels. Putting them all in a continuous row allows the pages to connect and flow into one another.
What is the significance of the different designs on each page?
One of the things I like best about this project is the many iterations of the designs that are possible. I start by thinking about a blank sheet of paper. I then warp and distort the parallel lines. It helps that a sheet of notebook paper is so ubiquitous and immediately recognizable.
Through your show, what do you hope to convey to viewers?
I hope viewers feel invited to rethink the everyday things that surround us. The familiar and mass produced takes on a special quality when it’s made by hand, and I like it when viewers do a double-take, not recognizing the texture at first as stitching.
Notes on String Theory is on display at the Meadows Museum from September 27 - October 28, 2022.