Headdress and Collar c. 1936

Dorothy Gernon made this drawing of a Headdress and Collar with who-knows-what and when, but I can imagine the careful hand that made those fine marks, and the love for the materiality of it all. Look at how she draws the lace, with such detail and delicacy. I imagine Gernon totally absorbed in the process, each line a meditation on form and texture. What was it like to be her? What was she thinking as she rendered each tiny bow and frill? Was this a drawing of something real, or did she just imagine it? The blank face is interesting. It feels like the figure is more of a suggestion. More of a feeling than a real presence. It reminds me of other painters I admire, like Florine Stettheimer, who infused her art with a sense of playfulness and the absurd. It feels like all of these artists are in conversation, finding inspiration in one another’s inventiveness. It's an ongoing exchange.