Draagteken, 1910 1910

This Draagteken was made in 1910 by an anonymous artist, with metal and textile. Look at the way the textile has been worked, the choice of color, the metallic threads, the different textures. It feels so considered. The ribbons of textile alternate between red and black, with a yellow accent breaking the pattern, like a glitch, or a pause. The metallic elements, in particular the fringe, catch the light, making the colors shimmer and shift. This feels important. Even the way the fringe at the bottom flares out seems deliberate. It's an interesting contrast, though, this small, hand-made work next to something like a giant, say, Rubens painting. You see how different the approach is, but also the commitment to beauty and expression. It reminds me of the work of Ree Morton – that same attention to detail, that same sense of playfulness. And like her work, it embraces ambiguity, inviting us to see and feel in new ways.