Peg Figure

This Peg Figure was created by an unknown Sumerian artist. We don't know exactly when, but it's currently at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The form itself is a great jumping-off point, how the material has been shaped and worked. The green of the material is like a conversation over time. I can see it as a collaboration with the processes of oxidation, not just the artist's original touch. There's a beautiful contrast between the detailed, almost tender rendering of the figure's face and the more roughly textured body that tapers down to a point. The hands clasped at the chest are just wonderful. I think this contrast speaks to a dialogue between intent and accident. Thinking about process, I'm reminded of the work of Ree Morton, who also used humble materials in unexpected ways. Art is never made in a vacuum, it's more like an ongoing conversation between artists, materials, and time itself. The beauty lies in the not knowing, the ambiguity.