Rug c. 20th century

This rug was made by a Navajo (Diné) artist, and looking at it, I imagine their patient hands and focused minds at work. I think of the quiet concentration required to weave the wool together, the shift between the natural off-white and the bold blacks and grays. The zigzags move across the surface like water or lightning, dynamic and full of energy. I see echoes of Agnes Martin's subtle grids, or the stark contrasts in a Barnett Newman painting; this rug feels like a painting, really, built with a whole different set of tools. And that center line? It brings a wonderful sense of rhythm to the composition. The artist is in conversation with the long history of artists using lines and shapes to create patterns and meaning, a conversation that stretches back centuries.