Camel or Horse Trapping c. 1920

This ‘Camel or Horse Trapping’ was made with some kind of textile, maybe wool or cotton, and it’s bursting with colour. The artist really understood how to make a surface sing. Look at the way the maker has arranged the patches of colour to create this elaborate diamond pattern. Each square is a different kind of colour combination, either striped or block coloured. It makes the whole piece feel like it's vibrating. The central red panel is quite plain, but then you see the little flecks of detail, those little hanging tassels, and realise that nothing is really left untouched. The artist isn’t trying to trick us, there’s no illusionism. It’s just about the joy of making, the joy of putting colours together and creating something new. In some ways it reminds me of the work of Gee’s Bend quilters, in the way the patterns and colours jostle against each other. This piece shows that art doesn’t have to be serious to be meaningful. It's the spirit that counts.