Bea Scaccia Italy, b. 1978
40 x 40 x 1 1/8 in
The starting point for this series ranges from the irony and tension in Goya’s depictions of elderly figures on swings to the theatricality of Fragonard’s Les Hasards Heureux de l’escarpolette. From there, Scaccia began to reflect on the word “swing” and its layered associations: shifting moods, emotional volatility, and the way femininity is often framed as unpredictable. She extended this play on language toward dancing, rhythm, and even the contemporary idea of “swingers,” exploring identity and the shifting roles or masks people wear.
In her research, she looked at many different types of swings and came across playful variations, including swings with unusual pillows. In this smaller work, she focuses more on the lower part of a composition, recalling elements from her larger paintings. Recurring motifs appear, interior spaces, domestic objects, familiar settings, but rendered with a subtle strangeness, creating an uncanny sense of domesticity that is both recognizable and slightly off.