Peg Figure c. 2500

This Peg Figure was created by an unknown Sumerian artist. We don't know exactly when, but it's currently at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The form itself is a great jumping-off point, how the material has been shaped and worked. The green of the material is like a conversation over time. I can see it as a collaboration with the processes of oxidation, not just the artist's original touch. There's a beautiful contrast between the detailed, almost tender rendering of the figure's face and the more roughly textured body that tapers down to a point. The hands clasped at the chest are just wonderful. I think this contrast speaks to a dialogue between intent and accident. Thinking about process, I'm reminded of the work of Ree Morton, who also used humble materials in unexpected ways. Art is never made in a vacuum, it's more like an ongoing conversation between artists, materials, and time itself. The beauty lies in the not knowing, the ambiguity.