Dress 1935 - 1942

Jessie M. Benge gave us this dress in watercolor, and the way she painted it feels like a quiet conversation with the garment itself. The whole thing is green, but look closely, and you'll see how many different shades she coaxes out of it! The colour pools and disperses, almost like light filtering through leaves. There's a sketch of the back view right next to the finished painting - like a little echo chamber of ideas. It really puts you in the artist’s studio, watching as she figures it all out. And get a load of the frills! The way Benge uses the white paint to bring out the frills makes it so delicate and intricate. It's not just about documentation, it's about love. Think about Hilma af Klint’s diagrams, or the pattern paintings of Joyce Kozloff – how ornament and decoration are also a form of information. There’s a lot more than meets the eye here.