Jacy Wall's approach to tapestry weaving is perhaps more akin to a
painter's. She works to an idea, rather than a pre-designed plan. Major changes,
such as using a pair of scissors to rearrange sections of the work, are
technically extremely risky, but has become the artist's preferred way of working. 'Silent Song' is the most radical use of this
process Jacy has made to date, a piece that is literally raw, pushing
deconstruction and reconstruction to the limit. It began life in very early
2020, before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, but as that notorious year
progressed, the work inevitably evolved, and it has taken many hours to remake
it into its final incarnation. For the artist this process felt appropriate to how daily life
has been in the last two years, the myriad tiny mends reflecting the many small
adjustments we have all had to make. The completed piece speaks, or rather
sings, of dealing with profound dislocation. The unadorned white section at the
base both lifts the weight of the black tones above, and leaves us with a sense
of a blank canvas ready for the future.