"Expect the Unexpected"

“’Expect the Unexpected’ captures the last 20 years of [Hollis Sigler’s] work. The paintings are deeply grounded in personal experience,” said Patty Rhea, the curator of “Expect the Unexpected.” Sigler, who during her life was a prominent Chicago based artist and member of the Columbia College Chicago faculty, died of breast cancer in 2001. Her personal message and use of color vibrancy and shading make her work all the more meaningful. “Expect the Unexpected” was an exhibit on display at the Chicago Cultural Center from January 30 to April 4, 2010 that showcased over 60 of Sigler’s pieces.
There was a wide variety of themes throughout Sigler’s catalog. Though her struggle with breast cancer was often the topic of her work, she also worked feelings of sexuality, repressed emotions, religion, and loneliness into her work. Her 1991-1992 painting “It Keeps Her Going,” an oil painting on canvas with a painted frame, shows a tranquil outdoor scene, complete with a fountain, but the seemingly calm scene is being viewed from the inside of a devastated house, filled with broken down appliances and shattered glass. This metaphor for false facades may be symbolizing Sigler’s feelings about her sickness. She wants to show how on the outside things may seem peaceful, but beneath the surface they’re utterly chaotic.
Though most of Sigler’s displayed pieces were paintings, there were other variations of her work. One of them, called “If She Could Free Her Heart to Wild Desires,” is a lithograph pop-up book. When opened, the book shows two very dark and vicious jackal-like animals being freed from a seemingly Pandoran box. The use of three dimensions gives the characters a more lifelike and realistic feel.
A common characteristic of Sigler’s paintings was the color variety and intensity. Cool blues and purples gave the viewer a placid and relaxed feel while shades of intense red and orange voiced her rage, often directed at her disease.
The several recurring items throughout Sigler’s works are very helpful when comparing different pieces. They give the audience a basic idea of what Sigler wants to say. Often seen items were fountains, statues, windows, clothing, tables and chairs. In a video being played at the exhibit, Sigler said, “Clothing can represent different time periods in a person’s life.” By using such simple and common items, Sigler connected with the audience on a more personal level. The piece that shares the same name as the exhibit, “Expect the Unexpected,”(1995) brings many of the commonly seen items together in one piece. But the most striking thing in this work isn’t in the color lithograph of a kitchen being wrecked. It’s in the message Sigler wrote around the frame that reads, “One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Every 12 minutes another woman dies from breast cancer.”
Her attitude toward the disease that ultimately claimed her life was one that could easily be related to. By acknowledging it and addressing it openly, Sigler was able to give everyone who saw her work a firsthand look into her world.