Dress 1935 - 1942

This drawing, simply titled ‘Dress’ was made by Irene Lawson at an unknown date using watercolour. Look at the way that Irene builds up the colour, letting the subtle washes sink into the paper. This shows us that art is a process. It's about layering, about working with the materials, and seeing where they lead you. The dress itself has this incredible texture. The fabric seems almost velvety, and you can imagine the weight of the skirt and all of the folds and gathers, with its tiny pocket! See how she uses these gold highlights on the hem? The level of detail draws you in. You can imagine running your fingers over the stitching. The whole thing feels so touchable, so real. It makes me think about other artists who work with clothing as a subject, like Claes Oldenburg. It's that same sense of taking something familiar and turning it into something extraordinary.