Patten c. 1936

Editor: This drawing, "Patten," by Marie Mitchell, from around 1936, depicts a shoe, perhaps a sandal. I’m struck by the contrast between the detailed rendering of the single shoe and the sketch-like quality of the others at the top of the image. What does this drawing evoke for you? Curator: For me, this image speaks to the evolving role of women in design and commerce in the 1930s. Mitchell was likely working within a system where her designs had to be both fashionable and functional. The sketch-like elements could indicate a process of design, revisions, and practicality— perhaps trying to market to manufacturers in some way. Editor: So the contrast might point to practical considerations of the design process itself? Curator: Precisely. It reflects how the visual arts intersect with industrial production, sales and marketing, as much as the final aesthetic object. The patten— essentially a shoe designed to elevate the wearer’s foot above the mud — connects to a larger socio-economic question. Who needed such protection from the elements, and what does that say about their lived experience? The design may hint to increased leisure time and an emerging mass market. Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn’t thought about the social implications of footwear! How interesting to see art playing a key role within a broader socio-economic context of gender and labor. Curator: Absolutely, thinking about fashion as a form of social commentary. This gives a totally new way of thinking about seemingly trivial objects!