Continuing through July 2, 2011
Linda Hutchins is known for her explorations of repetitive and serial approaches to Minimalism, relying on a variety of homespun methods and materials that set her style apart. In "Back to Basics" the artist likens her aesthetic to school tablets and charts, celebrating a stark yet gentle simplicity in black and white.
Hutchins here revisits a body of work she exhibited several years ago, in which she created common household items that were hand sewn in sheer gaze. The artist made photograms of a few chosen pieces - a hammer head, a chord, a cup and an egg. These photograms were translated into a paper negative which then became the scanned image. Those images form the basis of half the current exhibition. Some pieces present a single element while others are a montage. Considering the layers and steps away from the original, the details in these prints are particularly fine and fresh. In "Morse Code 1-2-3," Hutchins uses the charts for numbers in Morse Code as a springboard for an ordered view. The purposeful regularity feels stately like a flag but also tender in its precision.
This exhibition also includes a series of India ink drawings in which lines are repeated to create a gauzelike effect not dissimilar to her sculptures of a few years ago. As with all of Hutchins' work, these drawings reveal a graceful rhythm and determined patience that is both dense and delicate.
Pulliam Gallery
