Lint van lila gaas c. 1900 - 1915

This roll of lilac gauze ribbon, by Gustav Schnitzler, sits there, all coiled up, inviting all kinds of making. It’s such a specific, delicious color, a powdery, sweet lilac. The way it’s wound, you get a sense of its texture, like a stack of sheer papers almost, layered, with light playing through. There is an old label tied around the middle, the kind of thing that would have been on hand when the ribbon was bought, hinting at the context where this thing would have existed. That paper band feels so important, like a pause or a knot in the smooth flow of the ribbon itself. Thinking of other artists who work with textiles like Sheila Hicks, but also maybe the playfulness of someone like Franz West. It’s fun to see something like this in a museum, making us think about the unseen labor and materials behind everything. It reminds me that art is always in conversation, with itself and with the world around it.