Basket c. 20th century

This basket was made by someone from the Tohono O’odham community, also known as the Papago. The basket is woven in pale straw, with black stitching. It has this great rhythm, which comes from the zigzag of black lozenges around the outside. What did the artist think about as she made it? Was she thinking about holding, gathering, offering? Or was she just riffing? How much did she care about the pattern itself? You know, it’s almost like she was improvising in black and beige—I love that the pattern’s not quite perfect, and she doesn’t seem too fussy about it. It has a real energy, like she was in conversation with the materials. Maybe she was just into it. That’s what making art can be, right? A deep conversation, a back and forth across time, and an exchange of energy.