Broom Crew (From The Garden Party) 1976

Barrington Watson’s painting presents a scene with a group of workers, some holding brooms, resting amid what appears to be garden refuse. These figures, rendered with broad strokes, carry a profound symbolic weight that transcends their immediate depiction. Consider the broom: across cultures, it is not merely a tool for cleaning, but a potent symbol of purification and renewal. In various traditions, sweeping is a ritual act of clearing away the old to make way for the new. The way the artist has painted these figures around discarded waste alludes to the act of transition and potential transformation. The communal gathering of these women evokes a sense of shared experience and collective labor, reminiscent of ancient harvest festivals where communities came together to celebrate and give thanks for the land's bounty. It reminds us that cycles of clearing and growth have deep roots in the human psyche, resonating in ways that transcend mere utility, surfacing and resurfacing throughout art history.