Mantle 1975 - 1980

This 'Mantle' was woven without a date by Maya, and lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It’s a dance of red and purple, woven into a white ground, a rhythm of pattern creating a long vertical scroll. I can imagine Maya at their loom, each thread a decision, each color a note in a visual song. What were they thinking as they interwove these lines and shapes? Were they humming a tune, telling a story with each pass of the shuttle? There’s a lovely symmetry here, but not one that’s rigid or cold. The textures invite touch, the colors offer warmth. It reminds me of other textile artists, those who use thread as their paint, each stitch a brushstroke in a larger composition. Textiles carry stories, they are embodied expressions, full of intention and feeling. Maya’s ‘Mantle’ weaves together a piece of art that speaks, even across time.