Evening Dress and Cape c. 1936

Dorothy Gernon conjured this Evening Dress and Cape with pencil and watercolour, a dance of precision and fluidity. I imagine her, bent over the page, meticulously crafting each swirling flourish of the dress's pattern. The pale yellow of the gown, with its delicate lace, hints at both luxury and restraint. Look at the cape, a riot of floral abundance with that touch of the sumptuous black fur trim. It’s a world away from the flat plan of the dress, which is like a ghost image shimmering on the page. Making a painting is like having a conversation with yourself, but you’re using colours and shapes instead of words. Gernon is speaking a language of elegance, yes, but also one of possibility and transformation. The eye moves from the solid construction of the dress to the wilder cape. And I’m reminded how painting is a site of inquiry for the artist, and for us. It’s like she's saying, ‘Here’s a dress, but it could be so much more.'