Skirt c. early 20th century

This Skirt was created by an Anonymous artist, and now lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I like that! I am looking at something so tactile! It begs the question, what kind of touch brought it into being? Row after row, these rusty, deep orange, and golden bars form the surface of the skirt. I imagine the maker repeating the actions over and over, a patient, slow, and durational method. They must have been so present. It’s not unlike painting in that way – a repetitive action, a form of mark-making that seems to follow, and then lead, the artist’s hand. The skirt’s lower section has larger circular patterns that break up the rest of the composition’s strict linearity. I wonder if the artist got bored? Or did this addition signify a new beginning? I feel like that sometimes in my work when I want to add a new element that disrupts the picture plane. Ultimately, it’s a beautiful object that speaks to the fundamental human desire to create and adorn. I love the idea of artists responding to each other’s gestures across time, inspiring one another toward new forms of expression.