“Social History of American Swimming pools”
acrylic on collage of recycled materials on unmounted canvas panel
72”x36”
Currently NFS
At the edge of a swimming pool, in a green garden where there are tables and colorful umbrellas, a dark-skinned woman looks at us, defiant and incredulous, asking us to witness a surreal scene. A white hand presents her with a gradient of skin colors. The separation of colors in four shades does not give her access to this little piece of paradise.
The abstract painting represented in the bathing suit is by Piet Mondrian, one of the greatest figures of modern art, a symbol of modern time. The juxtaposition of this painting next to the skin color chart questions the meaning of modernity in a world of segregation.
This particular piece was inspired by a segment by Dulcé Sloan for the Daily Show “Dulsayin” - “What Happened to America’s Public Pools?” in which she talks about the problem faced by African Americans in accessing public pools during the summer, and how racism is the main reason for the closure of so many recreational facilities, replaced by private clubs and home pools.
Jeff Wiltse in his book “Contested Waters: a social history of swimming pools in America” explains that as gender integration occurred, municipal pools became "sexually charged" spaces where "intimate and prolonged contact" between swimmers of different races, genders, and social classes provoked violent conflicts. When pools were reserved for men, both white and black swam together. Women were bathing in solitude and modesty in their kitchens with a sponge and a bucket of water. When women obtained access to public pools, the exclusion shifted from one of gender to color. Looking at this from the point of view of African American women, their chance of accessing a pool was basically zero.
Bathing suit: Piet Mondrian, Composition with Yellow and Blue, 1932 (details)