Petticoat (Detail) 1935 - 1942

Editor: We're looking at "Petticoat (Detail)" by Mildred E. Bent, created between 1935 and 1942. It seems to be a textile piece, perhaps with watercolor accents. It feels very delicate, almost like a fragment of a dream. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: Immediately, the materials themselves speak volumes. Look at the explicit, almost defiant, embrace of ‘craft’ materials. Fibre-art, weaving, textile – these were traditionally relegated to the domestic sphere, labor considered less ‘artistic’ than painting or sculpture. Editor: So, you see the materials as a statement in themselves? Curator: Absolutely. And consider the title. "Petticoat (Detail)" evokes the intimate, the feminine, the concealed. By focusing on this ‘detail’, Bent elevates the traditionally unseen, unacknowledged labor involved in creating even a small part of a garment. What processes did she use to make this, what level of care and labour went into its creation? These questions demand a re-evaluation of the social and economic structures that deemed such work ‘lesser’. How does this subversion of expectations resonate with you? Editor: It makes me think about how so many women artists were overlooked because their work was seen as 'craft' rather than 'art'. The domestic context adds another layer to that. Curator: Precisely. And that domesticity wasn’t some innocent space; it was tied to economic structures, to social expectations, to the very means of production and consumption. Considering these details allows us to challenge established hierarchies and recognize the artistic value in traditionally marginalized forms of labor. I will consider ‘Petticoat (Detail)' in a new light, knowing a little more about the context in which it was crafted. Editor: Yes, I now understand that ‘Petticoat (Detail)’ can open dialogues beyond pure aesthetics. Thank you!