Belt c. 20th century

This woven belt of unknown date was made by an anonymous artist. When I look at the red and white details, I think about the conversations that can happen across media. Even though this is textile, there's still a painterliness to it; it's all about the touch. There is a raw energy to the work that reminds me of outsider art, of pure creativity, unfiltered and coming straight from the source. See how the figures are simplified, almost geometric? There is something very intentional in these shapes and their relation to each other. It's like a visual language that exists outside of conventional representation. There's an incredible amount of repetition and rhythm and variation too. Looking at the braids at the end, it's easy to imagine the weaver’s hands at work, knotting and twisting, each knot a decision, a mark of creativity, much like a painter applying brushstrokes to canvas. This makes me think of another artist who was really focused on process, maybe someone like Sheila Hicks, who’s also interested in this overlap of painting, sculpture, and textile, and how the physical act of making shapes the final outcome.