Panel 1900 - 1910

This Panel, with its anonymous maker, found a home at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. What strikes me first is the commitment to repetition, those shapes like teardrops, leaves, or even paisley ghosts floating in formation. I'm wondering about the texture; is it rough, smooth, or somewhere in between? How the maker wrestled with this material, embracing the imperfections and subtle shifts in color. Look at the way the red frames the panel, it’s almost like a support, holding the central pattern. This panel reminds me of Anni Albers, and her exploration of weaving as a form of art. Ultimately, what's so compelling about this panel is its ambiguity. We're left to fill in the gaps, to project our own experiences and associations onto its surface, just as art should be, right?