Cotton Thread Scarf c. 1938

This cotton thread scarf, by Walter W. Jennings, is a real labor of love. You can see the hand of the maker so clearly in the delicate lace edging, and in the repeating pattern of the textile. I imagine Jennings patiently working away, looping and knotting, creating a beautiful and useful object, stitch by stitch. The texture is so present, almost palpable. It makes you want to reach out and feel the subtle variations in the weave. It makes me think about Agnes Martin and her grids, or even Eva Hesse's rope sculptures. They used repetition as a way to get lost in the process. Maybe Jennings was doing something similar, finding a kind of meditative calm in the act of creation. You know, just plugging away...and, in the process, making something pretty wonderful. All artists are in conversation with each other, whether they know it or not, right?