Necklace c. 20th century

This necklace at the Minneapolis Institute of Art is made of beads and stones. I imagine the maker sitting at a table, carefully stringing each tiny bead, watching the necklace slowly come into being. You know, sometimes I think about how an artist must feel working on something over and over again. The same way I approach painting, the material becomes alive, responding to their touch. Each piece of stone must have felt different: some smooth, some rough, each with its own subtle variation in color. Maybe the placement of each stone was intuitive or maybe it was planned out, but it becomes a part of the whole, like putting together a puzzle. It’s a lovely object. I see a connection to the wider tradition of adornment and personal expression. And I think that artists, whether they know it or not, are always in conversation with one another across time. It’s a reminder that art isn't just about making; it's about feeling, connecting, and sharing something deeply personal.