Striped trousers 1938

Conroy Maddox made this painting, Striped Trousers, at some point, and I love the way he's handled the paint. The surface is alive, with these brushy, gestural marks that really sing. The trousers themselves are so striking, those bold stripes popping against the muted background. And then there's that strange, cloud-like form where the figure's head should be, made up of these frantic, swirling shapes. It's like Maddox is inviting us to question what we think we know about representation. There’s a funny back and forth between detail and abstraction here. The cloud-head, the shelf with its strange objects, all feel like they’re about to morph into something else. I see a link between Maddox and someone like Dorothea Tanning, both playing with surrealist imagery. Ultimately, it's about letting go of fixed meanings and embracing the fluidity of the imagination.