Hooked Rug 1965

This is Alexander Calder's Hooked Rug, date unknown; a carpet made with bright primary colours and naive shapes. You know, I can just imagine Calder with his hands deep into the wool, yanking and pulling, creating these amazing cartoonish images. What a genius! I think it's just so playful, with its winking sun, stripy anteater and yellow snakes. You can see the influence of Miro and Klee here. Think about the materiality of the rug – the texture, the physicality of the medium. It gives it a kind of warmth, you know? I really love the way that Calder has used the loops of the weave to create these very simple shapes. It looks kind of crude, but it's also incredibly sophisticated. All these artists, they're all in conversation with each other, trading ideas back and forth. It reminds me that painting is a constant process of learning and discovery, of embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.