Linen 1935 - 1942

Curator: "Linen," a watercolor drawing created by Edna C. Rex between 1935 and 1942, presents a rather quiet domestic scene, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: It feels delicate, almost frail. The pale washes give it a transient, ethereal quality. The lines, though structured, seem ready to dissolve into the paper at any moment. Curator: The artist’s focus on linear elements is quite compelling. Note the repetition of vertical stripes. They establish a rhythm that is mirrored somewhat by a secondary micro-pattern, reinforcing structural unity. Editor: Those stripes immediately evoke for me ideas of shelter and enclosure. Lines as boundaries. The material of linen is deeply rooted in human experience too - think shrouds and swaddling clothes. There’s a hint of both vulnerability and protection at play here. Curator: Perhaps. Although, one could equally read the texture as a purely formal decision, part of the visual architecture. Look, too, at how the watercolor medium facilitates both transparency and subtle layering; this creates tonal variations which prevent any sense of flatness in this representational image. Editor: I still come back to the subject itself - simple, unadorned linen, depicted during a time of global conflict. To me, it represents a yearning for domestic stability, a return to a pre-war tranquility and simpler routines in uncertain times. It's a desire rendered beautifully. Curator: The symbolism you describe can exist in tandem with an exploration of form, creating the kind of rich complexity that can challenge and engage a viewer. That interplay between emotional context and formal choices really marks an artist at work. Editor: Indeed. Rex prompts us to appreciate the beauty found in the everyday and familiar. It seems a very profound, very humane act. Curator: I would just add that the subtle rendering also creates a sense of volume without harsh definition; and the eye is kept moving around the composition in very satisfactory way. Editor: It's true, one is certainly left contemplating far more than just a piece of linen!