Basket c. 20th century

This basket was made by the Tohono O'odham, or Papago people. I like to think about how the maker carefully and methodically built the form, coiling the fibres to create a kind of spiral drawing in three dimensions. The basket is made of natural fibres in a light tan colour, with darker fibres woven in to create geometric patterns. What I notice about the material is how organic it is; you can see the texture of the plant fibres, and feel the maker's hand in the way they've been woven together. The patterns remind me of drawings - like the artist is using the basket as a canvas to create something visually interesting as well as functional. Look at the rim, with its zig-zag design, a beautiful example of how art can be found in everyday objects. It reminds me a little of Eva Hesse's rope sculptures, where the material itself becomes the art, and meaning emerges through repetition and process. There’s always more to find when you look closely, or consider that, as with all art, it is open to endless interpretation.