Thomas Chimes's Hermetic Metal Boxes Reveal Literary Obsessions at Locks Gallery

From November 7 to December 31, 2014, Locks Gallery in Philadelphia hosted "Thomas Chimes: The Body in Spirals," which highlighted sculptural metal boxes created between 1965 and 1973. This exhibition represented a departure from Chimes's previous focus on landscape paintings. After immersing himself in New York's Abstract Expressionism, he returned to Philadelphia, drawing inspiration from modernist literature, Surrealism, and the ideas of Duchamp. Art historian Michael Taylor remarked that McLuhan's lecture played a pivotal role in Chimes's evolution toward sculpture. The boxes, which incorporate elements of Art Deco, Pop Art, and Minimalism, reflect the "Sexual Revolution" through genital motifs. Notable pieces include "Cathedra" (1970) and "Yes" (1965), alongside white paintings from the late 1970s to the 1990s that delve into themes of identity and fragility.