Hat c. 20th century

This hat was made by an anonymous artist and lives here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It is a beautiful example of the type of artwork which embraces ambiguity over fixed or definitive meanings. Look at how the contrasting fabrics and colors meet along the edge. The deep, saturated red interlocks with the yellowed cream in a way that emphasizes the texture and the process of its making. It's not about hiding the stitches or the seams; it's about celebrating the act of creation. And consider the bottom edge, the way the tassels hang, worn and imperfect, each telling its own story. They remind me of the drip marks in a Gerhard Richter painting, or the exposed canvas in a Joan Mitchell, where the gesture and the material become the message. There's a conversation happening across time, a passing of ideas.