Skirt (Aksu) 1965 - 1975

This skirt, or Aksu, was made by an anonymous artist, using weaving and embroidery. Just look at how the lines dance! There's an improvisational quality here, where the color palette of ochre, red, pink and yellow creates a rhythm that's comforting. There's a beautiful negotiation of space in the skirt. It's not about perfection, it's about feeling. I love how the central area of the skirt is left mostly black. The bold, dark area that makes me consider the idea of negative space in a textile. It's as if the artist is saying, "Here, in the middle of all this color, is a space for contemplation, for the unknown." I'm reminded of the quilts of Gee's Bend, where utility meets profound aesthetic sensibility, and the spirit of the maker shines through. Art is always in conversation with itself, isn't it? There's never just one right answer, just different ways of seeing.