Costume Doll c. 1938

Al Curry, born in 1855, made this drawing of a doll, we don’t know when and with what medium exactly. I imagine they were figuring things out as they went along. Here we have a kind of paper doll, rendered in watercolor with a muted palette of pinks and blues. Look at the way the color saturates and pools in some areas, while the paper peeks through in others. I bet Al was thinking about form and function, maybe even fashion. The doll's expression is serene, or maybe just blank. Did Al think, while making this, about the people who played with dolls, the worlds they made? This work speaks to folk art traditions where creativity is about function and connection to community, not about genius and individual expression. I like to imagine Al and other artists like him, in conversation across time, inspiring each other to see and make.