Material-driven installations respond to space and change
At the Reece Museum in Johnson City, Tennessee, Through the Light brings an evolving body of sculptural work by Asheville-based artist Molly Sawyer into dialogue with architecture, light, and movement. On view through April 2, the exhibition marks the second major iteration of a project intentionally designed to shift in response to each new site it inhabits. Sawyer’s practice sits at the intersection of sculpture, installation, and fiber, drawing on reused and salvaged materials whose previous lives remain visible. Sheep fleece, burlap, paper, wire, and experimental fibers are stitched, knotted, felted, and suspended — traditional techniques pushed toward contemporary abstraction. Across the exhibition, the works explore interconnectedness, aging, and resilience, balancing delicacy with physical presence and inviting viewers to navigate the space around them. Among the featured works is “Eva’s Experiment,” a large-scale suspended installation realized here for the first time. Named in homage to Eva Hesse, the influential postminimalist artist known for foregrounding process, vulnerability, and material uncertainty, the piece embraces experimentation as a guiding force. Also on view is “Reaching Through,” a reimagined work now expanded with a sixth fiber ring spanning the length of the gallery wall. As Sawyer notes in a press release, the configuration is designed to “allow the viewer to move through and around the rings,” reinforcing the exhibition’s emphasis on physical and sensory engagement.
Through the Light: Through April 2; Artist Reception: Friday, February 13, 5-8pm
Reece Museum / 363 Stout Dr., Johnson City, TN / etsu.edu/reece