Woman's blouse (Huipil) c. 20th century

This woman's blouse was woven by a Maya artist, and it’s currently hanging out at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Just look at the way the horizontal lines of red and white intersect with vertical rows of embroidered diamonds and zig-zags. You can feel the artist working patiently on this thing. I bet the artist had a really clear vision of the blouse as it came into being, bit by bit, one color at a time. It must have been like watching a garden grow, each new shape and color building on the last. This woman knew her stuff, and I really think it shows. She probably had a strong sense of how all these different bits and pieces would fit together to become one cohesive picture. Artists are always having conversations and debates with each other. In their own way, the Maya artist was probably responding to the designs, patterns, and artists that came before her. Painting isn't just about making things look pretty, it’s about telling stories, sharing ideas, and seeing the world in new and unexpected ways.