Dress Pattern c. 1936

This "Dress Pattern" was made by Emery Herrett; it's just lines on paper, but for me, it opens up a whole world. It’s a dance of intuitive mark-making. These aren't just lines; they're pathways for our eyes to follow, each stroke a decision, a little map of Herrett’s thought process. The muted palette makes the structure pop, it's all about the bones of the dress, its architecture, not the adornment. Take that little bow, for instance, near the top. It's rendered with such simple, clean lines, but it suggests so much about the garment as a whole. It brings to mind the work of someone like Ree Morton, who took everyday, throwaway materials and transformed them into these incredibly poetic and evocative sculptures. Like Morton, Herrett makes something amazing out of the ordinary. It's a reminder that art, like dressmaking, is an ongoing conversation, a constant exchange of ideas and materials.