Cushion Cover c. 1950

This cushion cover was made anonymously, we don't know when or with what, but it is here in front of us. I can imagine someone carefully choosing each stitch, carefully placing each floral motif on this cloth. The repetition of shapes—the circles, the stylized flowers—creates a rhythm that's almost meditative. The dark red and dark green on a tan backdrop make me think about the earth, of roots and of life. I wonder if the creator was thinking about the same. Maybe they were thinking of other patterns they had seen, maybe they were just creating something new, something uniquely their own. And that's the amazing thing about art, right? We can look at it and bring our own experiences, our own thoughts and feelings, and make it something new all over again. The act of creation is an exchange. Artists inspire each other across time and cultures, and each artwork becomes a vessel for endless possibilities and interpretations.