Alice Aycock (American, b.1946)
The Angel Wheel: Their Ugly Souls, Part II, 1984
Pencil, chalk, gouache on paper 29 ¾ x 41 3/8 in. framed
The descriptive title, The Angel Wheel: Their Ugly Souls, Part II, suggests a move away from the purity of Minimalist art toward the idea of architecture as a metaphor for the mind’s ability to create metaphysical belief systems. Aycock’s 1984 drawing is a two-dimensional reproduction of her 1978 exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. (See image below) With its vertical tower and series of cylindrical elements set within a circumscribed space, the structure is reminiscent of a precinct with a watch tower and observatory.
Aycock began her career in the early 1970s as a land artist designing works that incorporated subterranean tunnels, walls, doors, and ladders into the landscape. She was influenced by her lifelong interest in architecture and archaeological spaces, as well as by Minimalist artists Tony Smith and Robert Morris. Her monumental sculpture, Alien Twister of 2018, is installed in the firm’s main reception area on the 52nd floor.
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