Child's Dress c. 1937

This drawing of a child’s dress was made by Al Curry, a painter who was born in 1855 and died in 1995. There’s something so sweet and tender about the way he’s approached the garment. You can see the pale underdrawing underneath the blushing pink of the dress, a reminder of how the drawing was constructed, bit by bit. The watercolor is gauzy, almost like the soft, worn cotton of a well-loved dress. I can almost feel the material. See how the skirt flares out in these soft pleats? And how the lace trim is rendered with these delicate swirls? The artist's focus seems to be on the materiality of the dress. It makes me think of dress patterns. The isolated bib at the bottom of the page and the technical drawing to the right look like they’re trying to communicate instructions. This reminds me of the work of Ree Morton, who used craft materials in her sculptures. Both artists have a really idiosyncratic approach to artmaking. Art isn't about answers; it's about creating a space for questions to unfold.