Breast band c. 20th century

This breast band was made anonymously, and it lives now at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I love thinking about anonymous makers, because it reminds me that artmaking isn’t always about a capital-A Artist trying to change the world, but also about just…doing. Looking at the texture and the geometry, I imagine this artist carefully stitching each tiny square, each zigzag, each diamond. It’s all built from discrete units that join to become complex patterns. You can see how, maybe, the maker allowed for small variations, human errors, or just following their mood. It makes me think about the many ways of working and how we are all connected across time. It’s not about fixed readings; it's about an ongoing exchange of ideas! And it all adds up to something beautiful and meaningful.