(Enlarge) "White Wheel" from 1996 is representative of the three-dimensional "wall-hangings" explored in "Warren Seelig: Textile per se," running through March 14 at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

Like other contemporary artists, those working with textiles often go against conventional patterns. A retrospective exhibit at the Maryland Institute College of Art, "Warren Seelig: Textile per se," includes wall hangings constructed from steel and Plexiglas. We're a long way from quilts here.

The earliest works in the show demonstrate that the Rockland, Maine-based fiber artist once made textiles whose warp and weft come out of ancient craft traditions. There is a sense of familiarity about the corduroy-and-cotton-woven "Five Panel #2" (1972), because its gridded, brown and white design attests to the hand-woven, pattern-conscious use of fiber-based materials.

Another hanging "blanket" from this period, "Red Plus" (1975), has a woven cotton design featuring a red cross pattern set against a black and white background. The geometric rigor of this design gives this piece a lot of visual appeal as it hangs against the gallery wall.

Seelig literally twists conventional wall hangings in "Gozo Ribbon Field" (1983). Two pieces of cotton cloth hang in a sharply angled manner on an aluminum hanger. The printed design on the material consists of narrow bands of brightly assertive colors. All of the colors and all of the angles add up to the kind of visual overload associated with so-called Op art.

The artistic exploration of how printed fabric hangs against the wall pushes even further with "Florida" (1987). Its wall-affixed steel frame supports a single piece of pink-hued nylon. Such skeleton-and-skin constructions push outward into the gallery air. These works increasingly have a sculptural quality, especially as they call upon materials other than textiles.

Steel frames allow for mixed-medium components to be suspended. "White Wheel" (1996) and similar pieces are characterized by wheels that resemble the somewhat deconstructed spokes of a bicycle wheel. Such wheels don't actually turn or otherwise move, but they still convey a sense of movement through space.

Sometimes the thin metal strands are constructed into wing-evocative shapes, as in "Slice" (1991) and "Up Wing" (1994). These whimsical flying machines are delightfully similar to the 500-year-old designs in the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit at the Maryland Science Center. Maybe everything old is new again.

It's a natural extension of sorts for Warren Seelig to suspend other materials in space.

One of his most notable recent works is "Stone Carpet/Shadowfield" (2005), in which a stainless-steel lattice supports red shale shards that project to varying degrees out from the wall. The stones seem like they're floating and hence no longer subject to the law of gravity.

Similarly, "Twin Trellis" (2006) has a stainless-steel frame supporting small white-and-gray stones whose smoothness accentuates the gracefulness with which they seemingly float in the air.

The artist uses much lighter materials in "Shadowfield/Blue Edge" (2007) and related works. A stainless-steel frame supports fluorescent Plexiglas rings and panels in these works, with the variously colored Plexiglas casting colorful shadows onto the white gallery wall.

Light and shadow are an important part of these recent works. In "Long Crystal Shadowfield" (2009), the stainless-steel lattice supports variously sized transparent-Lucite orbs that may remind you of planets in a densely populated solar system. The many shadows cast on the wall have a soft and subtle emotional effect.

The influence of Seelig's approach to weaving can be seen in a collaborative piece made by Maryland Institute students who took a class with him this past fall. Their "Drawing Writ Large" is made out of thousands of tightly linked plastic straws. It hangs high over your head like an unconventional blanket.

"Warren Seelig: Textile per se" runs through March 14 at the Maryland Institute College of Art, at 1300 W. Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore. Call 410-225-2300 or go to www.mica.edu.

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