Zoar Embroidered Flannel Petticoat c. 1938

Fritz Boehmer made this drawing of a petticoat, maybe around the turn of the last century. Look how he’s mapped out the weave of the cloth with a kind of tender hatching - this guy is really looking! It's all about the materiality, right? I keep thinking about the texture of flannel and embroidery thread – that’s Boehmer's focus too. His delicate strokes really bring out the soft nap of the flannel. See the embroidery at the hem? It's this tiny riot of color, a complete contrast to the off-white of the skirt. And those little flowers! So sweet. It reminds me of some of Agnes Martin’s drawings, that same attention to surface and line, how something so simple can hold so much beauty. But, you know, art is an ongoing conversation. We're all just riffing off each other, trying to figure things out.