Hoed van grijs stro en grijze tule c. 1935 - 1938

This 'Hat of gray straw and gray tulle' was made by Hartje using, well, straw and tulle. It’s lovely, right? The texture of the straw is almost like a painting, you know? That kind of all-over mark making that creates a surface, not a picture. Look at the way the gray tulle is draped, it looks soft, it gives the hat this dreamy quality. I like how the tulle, the straw, and the little red beads are talking to each other. It is all very tactile. You can almost feel the texture of the straw, the smoothness of the beads, the softness of the tulle. It is like one of those Cornell boxes, all these different textures and shapes coming together to create something dreamy. Like something Man Ray would make! And it all speaks to the idea that art is just a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas, materials, and feelings.