Purse c. 1937

Syrena Swanson made this image of a beaded purse, and it really makes you think about how some art is rooted in practicality and everyday life. Look at how Swanson uses these tiny little dots of color to build up the image. It’s like she's figuring out the form as she goes, bead by bead. The texture here is everything; the way those beads would feel in your hand, the slight irregularities. It's not about hiding the process, but celebrating it. See that leaf, the pale blue one? Each bead has a little glint, a tiny highlight. They come together to make something both beautiful and useful. You can almost hear the clinking sound of the beads. It reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint, who also built up her images from small units of paint, each contributing to the whole. Art isn't always about grand statements, sometimes it is about little moments coming together.