Hat c. 20th century

This hat was made by an anonymous artist with fiber and beads. What strikes me about this piece is the commitment to the repetitive gesture. It's like the meditative process of mark-making I often find myself doing in my own work. Look at how each tiny bead or stitch is placed with such care, building up the texture and pattern. There is a physicality to this labor, a kind of dance between the hand and the material. The surface of the hat is alive with color, each hue carefully chosen and placed in relation to the others. The red border grounds the piece, while the blues and yellows dance above, creating a sense of movement and rhythm. The yellow is almost cartoonish, giving the hat an edge. This reminds me of the work of Gee's Bend quilters, who transformed scraps of fabric into stunning abstract compositions. Like their quilts, this hat celebrates the beauty of the everyday and the power of human creativity.