Bath Wrap 1980

This bath wrap lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It’s anonymous, a fact I find kind of poignant and beautiful. I can feel the maker’s hand in this work, imagine them patiently building up the surface, stripe by stripe, choice by choice. The colors feel earthy, deep reds and purples, like rich soil after a good rain. And then there are those almost-there patterns that seem to flicker in and out of focus. I think about how the maker wanted to create something both useful and beautiful. Something that could comfort and protect. They might have been thinking about the person who would use it, wrapping them in warmth and care. It reminds me of Sheila Hicks' weavings or even Agnes Martin's grids – artists thinking through simple structures and materials. Artists are always in conversation with each other, even across time and cultures. There is no final word, only a continuous thread of making and meaning.