Basket c. 20th century

This small, woven basket was made by an artist of the Tohono O’odham, or Papago, people, and now lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I can't help but think about the hand that carefully formed this piece. Someone patiently coiling and stitching the plant fibers, transforming them into this vessel. I imagine their hands, their thoughts as they worked, and their breath. Notice how the dark patterns emerge from the light ground of the basket. They are like little thoughts or images, dancing around the surface. Each stitch is a decision, a small mark that contributes to the overall rhythm and texture. It's like painting, but with thread! It reminds me that artmaking is a dialogue across time, where we learn from each other. I think we should hold this idea close when looking at paintings too.