Floor Piece V 1973

Here's Harmony Hammond’s *Floor Piece V*, a rug made from fabric, through a process of braiding, coiling and stitching. Hammond’s process reminds me of making art: slowly building, coiling around, each rotation defining the space it contains. You can see the texture of the materials, the way the colors blend and separate, the physicality of the rug. The thick, almost earthy tones of brown and orange are contrasted with the playful pops of pink and blue that create a visual rhythm. The center, a tight spiral of brown and beige, is like the kernel of an idea, with everything radiating outward in a spontaneous and intuitive way. I see a conversation with artists like Miriam Schapiro, who combined craft and feminist art in the 70's. It's this spirit of experimentation and material exploration that makes the rug feel so alive; a testament to art’s endless potential for reinvention.