Tail Coat c. 1937

Creighton Kay-Scott made this drawing of a Tail Coat, using graphite and crayon on paper. The image has such a strong, muted tone, with a soft, textured surface created by the crayon. You can see the strokes and the way the artist built up the shading to give the coat its form. It’s almost like the coat is emerging from the paper, materializing from a sketch. I wonder what Kay-Scott was thinking about when he made this. Was he interested in fashion, in the social status this kind of garment represents, or was he simply drawn to the shapes and forms of the coat? What’s cool is how he includes a lighter sketch of the back of the coat. It’s like he’s thinking through all the angles and perspectives. You can sense him working out how it hangs, and how the lines flow. It reminds me of artists like Jasper Johns, who used everyday objects to explore perception and representation. Kay-Scott offers a unique perspective on how we see and understand the world around us, through the lens of clothing and fashion.