Striped trousers 1938

Conroy Maddox made this painting, Striped Trousers, with loose brushstrokes of white paint and vibrant pops of purple and teal. Imagine him, brush in hand, coaxing these peculiar figures into being—a pair of striped trousers walking into a gallery space. I wonder, what kind of gallery is this, and why are the trousers there alone? The surface is scrubbed back, almost like a memory, and the marks are pretty quick and intuitive. The head is such an interesting moment in the painting; those looping squiggles and curves that form the hair create an eerie effect, like Medusa’s head but made of foam. Painters like Maddox have influenced so many other artists. His surrealism and dreamlike imagery resonate with a world of possibilities, inviting our own interpretations. You might feel a sense of unease, but that's what makes painting so special. It's a conversation across time, inspiring creativity and making us think about the ways we see and experience the world.