Waistcoat c. 1936

Editor: Here we have Dorothy Gernon’s "Waistcoat," made around 1936 using mixed media on paper. The waistcoat’s floral pattern feels delicate against the aged paper, almost like a preserved memory. What do you see in this piece, something beyond the visual representation? Curator: It whispers of forgotten gardens and the ghost of dandyism, doesn't it? I wonder, what's more intriguing—the waistcoat itself, a fleeting fashion statement, or the artist's choice to immortalize it in this tender sketch? The faded palette, the delicate floral pattern, speaks of a gentler era, almost as if Gernon were trying to capture a dream. It evokes the fleeting nature of beauty, doesn't it? Perhaps it's about time’s relentless passage or perhaps the artist loved the juxtaposition of this romantic waistcoat against modern tailoring. What do you think about its style? Editor: That’s lovely, thinking about it as a way to stop time. The waistcoat is very geometric. It reminds me of the neat casual fashion of my grandpa, I mean the past. The colour palatte evokes the era too. Curator: Absolutely! Gernon captures that precise moment when formality met comfort. I imagine someone perhaps like a jazz musician wearing something like this, expressing themself in art and dress, defying categorization. Do you imagine the waistcoat being for special occasions? A fancy vest at a jazz gig perhaps? Editor: It feels special occasion-y, right? Definitely fancier than what I wear to my lectures. Thinking about its context opens up whole stories… Curator: Exactly! And maybe, just maybe, that's the point. Art invites us to finish the narrative, filling in the blanks with our own imagination. Editor: I love that - we’re not just looking, we are participating. Thanks, this made me look at sketching, memory, and storytelling with clothing so differently. Curator: The pleasure's all mine. It's always about seeing beyond the surface, isn't it? That is what art is all about.