Skirt c. 1970 - 1980

This skirt was created by the Atir farming group. I’m immediately drawn to the lower register, that riotous band of color, with the strange flower-like forms reaching upwards. It’s all contained, of course, because there's a tight order at play. I wonder about the rhythm of creating this – the embroiderers, maybe singing as they worked? I imagine the hands that held this fabric, the concentration on each tiny stitch. That border with the mirrors… it makes me think about painting, about how a painting reflects back at you. These embroiderers knew that too, knew how to catch the light and make something glow. There’s a conversation happening here across cultures and time.