Hawaiian Swimmer 1972

Curator: Looking at Jean Charlot’s “Hawaiian Swimmer” from 1972, created with colored pencil, one is immediately struck by its somewhat dreamlike state. What is your first impression? Editor: The textures really jump out—the cross-hatching creates a very tactile, almost sculptural form from what seems to be a fairly commonplace subject, lending it an almost mystical quality. Curator: The swimmer, seemingly suspended, does have a spiritual serenity. Considering Charlot’s wider body of work, particularly his murals, we can see recurring visual symbols relating to a pacific iconography and cultural exchange, yes? Editor: Precisely. Note the sinuous quality of the "water," almost appearing as extensions of the figure’s thoughts, reminiscent of indigenous cosmologies where water signifies consciousness, an intangible symbolic realm. But what do make of the fish figures in pink and yellow? Curator: Given Charlot's interest in geometric form and composition, I interpret the fishes more literally as studies in contrasting color relationships, foils and focal points set within a cool palette, a play of graphic elements. It lends dynamism, creating multiple centers of visual weight that prevent the eye from settling too easily. Editor: It's definitely doing something unique. Yet it is hard to ignore how the swimmer interacts with these creatures in a visual ecosystem. The yellow one is very active and the pink one feels like more like prey. One is vibrant and beckoning while the other feels almost camouflaged, maybe to ward off predators? The scene offers clues that open larger cultural readings about the relationship with the native peoples. Curator: So while your symbolic approach offers possible readings into the narrative elements, for me the impact lives in Charlot’s visual vocabulary itself—his technique of imbuing shape, line and chromatic interplay with energy. It is where Charlot successfully merged cubist forms with local island aesthetics. Editor: Ultimately, whether viewing the "Hawaiian Swimmer" through a cultural lens or via its aesthetic structure, we see Charlot's profound talent for sparking dialogue. Curator: Indeed; a simple composition revealing complex possibilities, characteristic of Charlot’s long and significant career.