Rieten mand met rozen 1889 - 1893

Johanna Margaretha Piek made this photograph of a reed basket with roses sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Photography itself, like weaving, is a technology, with its own specific material properties. In this case, the tones are muted, characteristic of early photographic processes. Look at the texture of the woven basket. This is a material of humble origin, plant fiber, yet it's been transformed by human labor into a useful and beautiful form. The roses too have been cultivated by human hands, and are gathered here in abundance. In their wilting, we can see the labor involved in their cultivation. Considering the amount of labor involved in the creation of both the basket and the flowers, this image encourages us to look beyond the surface of beauty, towards the means of production and the social context in which objects are created. It blurs the lines between fine art and craft.