Dress c. 1940

Curator: Well, this is "Dress," a drawing by Julie C. Brush, likely created around 1940. It's rendered in coloured pencil. Editor: It's quite lovely, really! Almost ghostly in its presence. The blue tones create a sense of calm, even sadness, yet the pattern hints at something more domestic, everyday. Curator: It's fascinating to consider the social context in which Brush made this piece. The 1940s saw immense shifts in women's roles, driven by the war effort and economic changes. The clothing people wore—ready-to-wear or custom-made—was so heavily impacted. How was Brush positioned in this world? How might the material history of such garments and the work of designers feed her production? Editor: Good question! Given that it's rendered in coloured pencil, what about the availability of this drawing media and their relative affordability as a potential access point to artistic practice? Is the dress a stand-in, a substitute, or representation of the kind of dress the artist or person she knew might wear? Is the relative precision of its construction an attempt to depict design? Curator: It does make one wonder. Consider the labour involved in producing both the drawing and the dress it depicts. Was this design intended for mass production, or perhaps for a bespoke garment? I would want to know what social strata might consider this style, or indeed access its material presence, not simply as an image but a form worn on the body. Editor: I'm struck by how the absence of a figure wearing the dress affects its presence in our imagination. Without the wearer, it exists only as an ideal, maybe even a commentary on the ephemeral nature of fashion. This might also speak to a social need, to conform or even communicate personal and political positions by subtle signifiers, for both artist and intended audience, if any. Curator: Absolutely, and think about how the depiction of clothing is a reflection of its political charge. How the choice of dress is a symbol in the artist's socio-cultural milieu! And, where would this be located in an institution historically, from Costume and Textiles, to Drawings, Design, or Decorative Arts? Editor: All fascinating angles. Thanks for shedding light on Julie Brush’s lovely "Dress." Curator: Likewise! Examining such artwork is to think about what matters materially and why these matter at a specific moment in social and art history.