Mexican Basket - Another Influence

I bought this basket in the mid 80's at the Eye’s Gallery on South Street in Philadelphia owned by Isaiah and Julia Zagar.

Adela Akers, my graduate school advisor, introduced us to the Zagars and we visited their apartment above the store. The apartment had walls covered in mosaics that Isaiah made from tiles a, objects, and broken mirrors in an attempt to bring some of the sunshine of Mexico to Philadelphia. When I bought the basket, I was freshly out of my MFA program at Tyler School of Art and very low on cash. Still when I saw this basket, I needed to buy it. The simple structure of hooped ribs covered with a bark net spoke to me with infinite depth.