Boy's Coat and Trousers c. 1939

Mae A. Clarke made this drawing called 'Boy's Coat and Trousers' with ink on paper. It’s a drawing in which the process is right out there, isn't it? The thin, consistent lines are like a roadmap of the garment’s design. There's a beautiful, almost ghostly quality in how the back view gives us just enough information to imagine the rest. I love how the absence of color and shading emphasizes the form. Look at the line that defines the curve of the coat's tails, how it gently flares out, giving a sense of movement. It reminds me of the drawings of dress patterns. There's a technical precision here that's also deeply intimate. It calls to mind the work of Agnes Martin. Like Martin, Clarke uses a minimalist approach to reveal an underlying structure. It reminds us that art isn't about fixed meanings, but about the ongoing conversation between the artist, the artwork, and us.