Woman's Spur c. 1940

Curator: Well, hello there! Looking at this curious piece. It’s titled "Woman’s Spur," created around 1940 by Ethel Dougan. A drawing rendered in watercolor and colored pencil. What jumps out at you? Editor: Immediately, a contradiction. A spur, so often linked to masculine equestrian pursuits, being "for a woman." It poses interesting questions about gendered expectations of activity. Curator: Right? It feels almost satirical! Like a stage prop from a flamboyant rodeo act. And yet, the craftsmanship is so delicate. Notice the detailed floral work on the leather straps! Gives it a bizarre softness. Editor: Absolutely. And think of the historical context. During this time period, there was a shifting expectation and visibility of women, especially in ranching or traditionally male fields. This challenges how women performed or took ownership in such spaces. Curator: Yes! I wonder if Dougan had specific women in mind – maybe family, maybe just figures that she’d made up. To me, that pink floral appliqué kind of shouts femininity! Editor: I'm inclined to read it less as a celebration of femininity and more of a subversive critique, even a melancholic portrayal. A spur is meant to motivate an animal; perhaps here, we see a critique of the "motivational spurs" women faced. Think domesticity, conformity... Curator: A dark interpretation. I can see that! But the colors feel a bit too joyful for complete darkness, don’t they? There’s something very stylized about this whole presentation…the perspective. The lines. It reminds me a bit of costume design or perhaps advertisement layout… Editor: And doesn’t that, itself, reinforce the performance aspect? Aren’t the visuals designed to uphold, or disrupt, the image of women’s participation in, or ownership over, certain spaces? Curator: Fascinating! See, I’m coming around to your thinking now! What an intricate puzzle for a deceptively decorative object! Editor: Indeed! There's such a fascinating duality that encourages a dialogue between functionality and symbolism that is simultaneously complex and immediate.