Suit 1935 - 1942

Editor: So this is "Suit", a watercolor and drawing by Nancy Crimi, dating from 1935 to 1942. It’s a pretty striking image—just the clothes, nobody wearing them. It’s sort of ghostly, in a way. What jumps out at you? Curator: It does have that abandoned air, doesn't it? For me, I'm struck by how expressive a set of clothes can be. The artist has chosen a very particular style – quite formal, perhaps hinting at a specific social class or even a historical period. Doesn't it remind you of something theatrical? Like it’s waiting for its cue. Editor: Yes! Now that you mention it, absolutely. What does it mean, though? Is Crimi trying to say something about identity, or the roles we play? Curator: That's exactly the question I ponder. Is it a critique of the rigidity of social roles, the costumes we're all forced to wear? Or perhaps, more tenderly, it’s a portrait of absence, a meditation on what remains when someone is gone. Think about the watercolor itself—translucent, delicate…it almost suggests a memory, fading but still present. Editor: Wow, I didn't consider that. I was so caught up in the emptiness. So the materials themselves are part of the message? Curator: Absolutely! Every choice the artist makes—the subject, the medium, the composition—contributes to the overall meaning. Editor: That’s fascinating. It really changes my perception of it. Before, I just saw an empty suit. Now, I see a whole story, or maybe multiple stories. Thanks! Curator: And for me, thinking through it with you has revealed nuances I hadn’t noticed before. It’s a conversation, always a conversation!