Elias Sime: Tightrope

The exhibition begins with Elias Sime’s earlier stitched canvas works. These works are from the body of work that immediately preceded and overlapped with the earliest tableaus in the “Tightrope” series.

Elaborately sewn surfaces layered with found objects such as bottle caps, buttons, and repurposed fabric, these works highlight the underpinnings of Sime’s investigations.

Focusing on sewing techniques and the use of unconventional materials, with a strong emphasis on color and texture, they are representative of the work Sime was creating in the years leading up to the “Tightrope” series.

For Sime, the worlds and systems of nature and technology are intimately linked. The materials he uses to make his works—electrical wires, motherboards, keyboards, and transistors—often suggest the forms of landscapes and figures, which can be seen throughout the exhibition.

Look closely, you will find a flattened bottle cap stitched onto the bottom left or right corner of each of the stitched canvas works. This represents the artists signature for this series.

In this gallery the breadth of material that Sime engages with becomes very evident. In addition to computer detritus we see the influence of artisan communities in his ceramic sculptural installation "Bareness" surrounded by large-scale works resembling an array of techniques and scales designed to look like various landscapes.

"Tightrope 3" (2009–14)

In the work "Tightrope: On the Edge" (2105), and others in this section of the gallery, Sime combines an interlocking network of computer detritus from different eras in computer manufacturing history and applies it to a wooden surface.

"Tightrope: On the Edge" (2015)

"Tightrope: Noiseless 23" (2019)

Here we see the intersection of a range of materials Sime works with including computer mother boards, wire, computer keys, ceramics, and found/reclaimed wood. Together they reveal different types of abstract and more representational patterning that resemble figures, landscapes, and even mosaic-like forms.

The large installation of ceramics on view in the exhibition, titled "Bareness" (2014), reflects the artist’s ongoing interest in multiplicity and his dedication to collaborating with local artisans.

Tracy L. Adler, curator at the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, wrote in the Introduction of the catalogue published in conjunction with this exhibition: “Expertly braiding and twisting electrical wires into textile-like surfaces with gestures akin to brushstrokes, Sime creates a sense of movement and energy that evokes various organic phenomena—a rising wisp of smoke, clouds in the sky, light reflecting off the surface of water, a bird’s-eye view of a landscape.”

Sime’s work elicits the significance of the human trace and memories through his use of material.

The works of Elias Sime are an exercise in patience: sometimes he searches for materials for years to complete a tableau in a specific palette.

"Tightrope: Familiar Yet Complex 1" (2016)

To realize "Tightrope: Noiseless 2," the artist collected rust-colored wire, a color not often found in cable bundles, for over a decade. The vast, variegated brown surface recalls scorched earth, but in the lower left corner, a cluster of flowers burst forth angularly, demonstrating that even barren terrain can produce new, dynamic life.

The scale and varying direction that the wire and keyboard materials are applied often give the appearance of large-scale textiles. Given Sime’s experience with creating with Ethiopian fibers and his knowledge of the linear patterns found in West African kente cloth and stripweave designs.

"Tightrope: Behind the Beauty" (2017)

"Tightrope: The Dominant" (2017)

Sime’s monochromatic and multi-colored designs in this image emphasize his ability to move skillfully between abstract motifs and imagery related to nature and the natural world.

"Tightrope: Familiar Yet Complex 2" (2016)

"Tightrope: Silent 1" and "Tightrope: Silent 2" make their debut in this major exhibition. They’ve retained their resonance of being communication tools now carrying with them the markings, oils, and blemished from their journey to Sime’s studio.

The finale of the exhibition shows works that relate directly to figures as wells as influences of the human hand in communicating ideas.

For example, the square configuration of braided wires in "Tightrope: In Boxes" (2017) resemble stitched squares on a quilt or examples of West African strip weaving, which in turn communicate visual narratives.

The portrait orientation of "Tightrope: (9) While Observing…" (2018) has the appearance of a portal, or space to look through, or even that of a cameo where a portrait could exist.