Dress 1935 - 1942

Curator: Here we have Ann Belle N. Eubank’s “Dress,” a pencil drawing that dates from around 1935 to 1942. What strikes you about it? Editor: Oh, it's lovely... ghost-like almost. Like a memory of elegance, barely there on the page, but full of unspoken potential. I immediately imagine it in motion, swirling. Curator: I see it more as a blueprint than a memory, really. Consider the labour involved in designing, cutting, and sewing such a garment. It implies a whole economy around dressmaking, not just individual flair. Editor: Perhaps, but for me, that loose pencil work whispers more of dreams than a factory floor. And all those delicate fringe details. Someone really cared about creating something beautiful. It even seems the dress has hidden writing. Curator: Well, the medium reinforces the message. Pencil is cheap, accessible. A pattern maker perhaps drafting ideas and repurposing paper, working with very simple means? Editor: Yes, simple, but evocative too. It transcends its humbleness somehow. And the facelessness contributes. We can project ourselves into the gown, fantasize about the occasion, even invent the wearer. It's quite captivating. Curator: Indeed. The date places it during the Great Depression, an era of austerity and resourcefulness. Even high fashion wouldn't escape that context, would need patterns to be drawn and dresses to be refashioned. It adds a social layer, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. I love how it exists in this ambiguous space, both utilitarian sketch and a delicate, aspirational artwork. You get a feeling of transience from this sketch that adds to the emotion. It would be amazing to see this brought to life. Curator: I think so too, there is so much social and historical value embedded within these lines that makes this artwork an extremely compelling exploration into class and process, it's really stuck with me. Editor: Absolutely. This drawing encourages us to examine what inspires our creative passions!