Pair of two-tone gloves c. 1900 - 1915

These are two-tone gloves of an unknown date by an anonymous artist that reside in the Rijksmuseum. The off-white colour of the gloves is a kind of blankness, like a canvas waiting for paint. The seams remind me of a drawing, the subtle lines delineating the form, a process of figuring something out, piece by piece. The material has a history etched into it; look closely, and you'll see the small stains and wrinkles that tell a story of use, of life lived. The tan panels at the bottom of the gloves have a slightly different texture to the whiter leather, bringing a contrast that makes my eye dance. There’s something deeply personal about gloves, like a second skin that is a protective barrier to the world. They remind me of work by Ree Morton, an artist who used everyday materials to create poetic, deeply felt sculptures. Like her, these gloves invite us to slow down and to consider the beauty in the ordinary, the stories embedded in the objects that surround us.