Woman's Skirt Length c. 20th century

This 'Woman's Skirt Length' was created by the Dogon people using indigo dye on cotton. The process of dyeing, especially with indigo, is slow and transformative, almost alchemical. Up close, you can see how the deep indigo isn't uniform. It's alive with variation, a testament to the hands that worked it. The simple blue dashes create a rhythm, a pulse across the fabric. It reminds me of Agnes Martin's grids, but with a warmth and irregularity that speaks to its origin. I think about the body that this textile would have adorned. How it moved and how the skirt moved with it. It makes me think of Sheila Hicks and her exploration of textiles. Both artists share an interest in the interplay between material and form, and the ways in which textiles can embody memory and experience. Art is always in conversation, across time and cultures, each piece a response to what came before. It's never just one thing.