Temple Basket c. 20th century

This Temple Basket, now held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is made out of natural materials. It’s anonymous, it’s un-dated, and it's not exactly painting, but hang in there with me. Imagine the maker, gathering reeds or grasses, sorting and preparing them—maybe wetting them to make them pliable. What would it have been like to have hands-on knowledge of your materials, like these artisans did? The materials would inform the form; the artist working with nature, not against it. Look closely at the rim, like tightly packed coils. It reminds me of the way a painter might layer paint on canvas, building up texture and depth. The woven surface has its own kind of rhythm and flow, like gestures in a painting. Even the decorative band of white around the middle reminds me of color accents that painters use—it’s a moment of contrast and emphasis. I guess I see all art as part of one big conversation. Whether it’s paint or reeds, artists are always finding new ways to see and shape the world.