Corset 1935 - 1942

Sylvia Dezon made this sketch of a "Corset" in pencil, at an unknown date. The first thing I notice here is the linear quality, a kind of delicate scaffolding. It's so light, almost tentative, and you can see the process right there on the page. The blue pencil feels both precise and improvisational. See how the lines create this sort of cage around the body, adorned with these playful botanical and floral elements? Some of them have names written on them? For me, this piece exists in the space between fashion, drawing, and the body. It reminds me a little of the work of Ree Morton, another artist who used drawing to explore ideas about decoration, the body and the feminine. Like Morton, Dezon's sketch embraces a kind of vulnerability and openness, valuing the potential of the sketched line over the finality of the finished product. It’s a testament to the beauty of artmaking as a process.