Tie c. mid 20th century

This beaded tie was created by an anonymous artist and now lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I see the red colour first, and it really dominates. It’s such a striking and bold choice, softened by the irregularities of the woven surface. What I love about this piece is how it merges the formal with the informal; it's this weird combination of materials, with the central column of red and the way the beads are used along the border, each one carefully placed. There’s a sense of play and intuition at work. The process of making feels really present; you can imagine the hands that made this, the time, the care. It reminds me a little of Jim Hodges, especially the way he uses found materials. Like Hodges, there’s a sense that this tie is more than just an object; it’s a story, a feeling, a moment in time captured in these simple materials. Art’s not about perfection, right? It’s about the exchange, the conversation, the ongoing act of making and seeing.