Bodice c. 1937

Curator: Oh, I find this sketch rather haunting. Editor: This watercolor drawing on paper is "Bodice" by Nancy Crimi, circa 1937. The style is so specific; it reflects a decorative-art aesthetic rooted in her contemporary era. It's primarily composed of water colors and detailed pencil drawing. Curator: It’s the kind of melancholic drawing you’d find tucked away in a vintage fashion design archive, right? The details—that perfectly rendered waistline and the rows of little buttons running down the bodice—evoke a very personal style. It's incomplete. There is space. Editor: Considering Crimi's wider body of work, the techniques and materiality matter. She clearly prioritized economical paper alongside affordable watercolors; a smart approach that aligned to resource-constraints of her milieu. This aesthetic makes "Bodice" feel grounded within very specific social conditions; fashion designs themselves reflected economic constraints imposed through manufacturing trends available to artisans, as it's clearly a unique product or output. Curator: Absolutely! You get that sense of both utility and fantasy existing in tandem. I think the choice of materials emphasizes how creative expressions thrive, sometimes particularly powerfully when born from such necessary economy, don't you agree? Editor: These forms of material ingenuity are particularly appealing when reflecting shifts in broader production landscapes that occurred throughout the interwar era: we must ask how the rise of affordable textile and dyes, like here, enabled an democratization and the customization of aesthetics. This aesthetic seems to stand for her peers as well. Curator: Right? So, Nancy Crimi crafts this drawing that simultaneously suggests longing and restraint through its simplicity and subtle grace, I love this effect. What an eye! Editor: Ultimately, Crimi's "Bodice" prompts me to reflect more intently regarding our collective relationship to wearable pieces, as it acts as an index towards consumer culture alongside art historical lineages within her region; an introspective stance as well beyond decorative approaches!