Child's Dress 1935 - 1942

George Robin made this design for a child’s dress with pencil and watercolor. The colors are light, and the plaid pattern is loose and watery, like a memory. There are two views of the dress here: one with color, and one a simple line drawing, as if it is an idea that is still being worked out. I like how the green trim and the little round buttons give it a playful feel, like something out of a children's book. Look at how the plaid lines don't quite match up at the seams. It gives the whole thing a handmade, imperfect quality. This makes me think of other artists who work with textiles and fashion in unexpected ways, like Rosie Lee Tompkins, who makes incredible quilts from found fabrics. It's all about taking something familiar and turning it into something new and strange. And that's what art is all about, right?