Trousers c. 1936

Syrena Swanson made this painting of ‘Trousers’ with watercolor and graphite. The brown tones blend and separate across the paper; a continuous, fluctuating surface describes a pair of trousers laid flat. I imagine Swanson, carefully and tenderly building up the color to describe the different components of the clothing: the waist, the button fastenings, the turn-ups at the ankles. It's like she’s mapping an anatomy. The back view of the trousers has a subtle crumpling that suggests a body, even though there isn't one present. I’m interested in the way that Swanson has made this image her own. She is in conversation with other artists; maybe she looked at Hockney's paintings of clothing, or photographs by Walker Evans. It’s all part of an exchange of ideas, across time, which inspires creativity and gives space for new meanings to emerge.