Boy's Coat c. 1937

Nancy Crimi made this drawing of a boy's coat sometime between 1855 and 1995. It's a simple rendering, a line drawing, but the repetition of marks and shapes hints at a pattern maker’s sensibility. The surface is very smooth, and the pencil lines are thin, precise, and elegant. There's a real sense of care, almost devotion, in the way Crimi meticulously articulates the details of the collar, sleeves, and hem, each with its own unique flourish. I love the way these careful details contrast with the expansive, blank space that surrounds the form. The drawing itself almost feels like a ghost, barely there, a faint memory of what once was. It reminds me of the work of Agnes Martin, the way she could conjure so much with so little, just a few lines on a canvas. With this drawing, Crimi engages in a quiet dialogue with the history of art and design, inviting us to slow down, to look closely, and to find beauty in the everyday.