Basket before 1922

This basket was made by the Tohono O’odham, or Papago, people. You can see it in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It's a wonderful example of artmaking as process. Check out the surface, its texture, its color. The warm, earthy palette. What I love about this piece is how the physical act of weaving creates this incredible pattern. The checkerboard design isn't just decorative; it's built into the basket's very structure, one stitch at a time. Each of those tiny squares is a testament to patience, skill, and a deep understanding of the materials. Thinking about process makes me think of Eva Hesse, another artist who embraced repetition and the inherent qualities of her materials, inviting us to consider art as something living and evolving. This basket reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, a dialogue across time and cultures.