Skirt 1950

This skirt was made by an anonymous artist, and it lives here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It’s a beautiful, modest thing, woven with simple lines of indigo, red and grey. Up close, you see that the indigo isn’t just one flat color, but more like a dark sea with subtle waves. The red and grey stripes sit at the top and bottom, warm and inviting. The whole thing has a rhythm to it, like a song someone hummed while they worked, a song about everyday life, maybe about children playing or about rain on the roof. It is so simple, yet if you look carefully, you see all the little imperfections. The skirt reminds me of Agnes Martin's grid paintings, they are quiet and unassuming, but hold the whole universe within them. It reminds us that art doesn't need to shout to be heard. It whispers, and we have to lean in to listen.