Skirt Hook c. 1940

Curator: Here we have Emil Warns' "Skirt Hook," a pencil drawing created around 1940. Editor: It’s quite stark, isn’t it? The meticulous rendering of a mundane object somehow makes it feel monumental, almost sculptural. Curator: I agree. The choice of pencil as the medium highlights the industrial process—the graphite itself being a key component in various manufacturing contexts. It underscores the intersection of the handmade and the mass-produced. Editor: And thinking about the time period, the 1940s… a piece of clothing hardware becomes a potent symbol. Garments and fashion were being radically reshaped during World War II as women entered the workforce. Even the smallest elements like this hook would have adapted. Curator: Precisely! It also prompts us to consider the labor involved in the garment industry. This small metal piece represents a whole network of labor from the metal worker to the seamstress. How often do we reflect on such a common artifact? Editor: Never, probably! And its purpose is subtly gendered. The "skirt hook" speaks volumes about femininity, functionality, and even restriction. The hook’s clasp represents control, literally holding fabric together. Curator: Indeed, and Warns presents it so directly, with an almost forensic approach. The lack of ornamentation emphasizes its utilitarian purpose and design. It asks us to reflect upon this aspect of a garment, to examine the materials used in everyday life. Editor: Right, a single, functional item rendered with a hyper-realistic almost documentary style asks broader questions about design, gender, and manufacturing. It becomes almost anthropomorphic. Curator: It really shifts our perspective, doesn't it? Showing the complexity embedded in the mundane. Editor: Exactly, something so modest can suggest bigger implications about clothing, work, and women's evolving roles. Thank you, Emil Warns, for making us notice what’s usually hidden in plain sight.