Textile Samples c. 1938

These Textile Samples by Paul Kelly, made at some point between 1855 and 1995, are really about structure, right? The way the colored threads lock together is the whole story. I find myself thinking about the grid, which is so fundamental to so much art. You know, the x and y axis, like the warp and weft of a loom. But in this work, the grid is not abstract. It’s literally, materially, present. Look at the surface; it's uneven, textured, not trying to hide its process. You can imagine the maker's hand, the repetitive motion, the slow building up of the pattern. Take the top sample, for instance, with that regular but not too regular checkerboard. To me, it’s a kind of conversation. The colors aren't blended but set up a dialogue with each other. These samples remind me a little of Anni Albers, or even Agnes Martin, in how they find freedom within very simple means. I guess art is always a conversation across time. What do you think these fabrics are saying to each other?