Coat Suit c. 1937

Ray Price made this 'Coat Suit' drawing using graphite and colored pencil, and looking at it I can imagine them carefully shading and layering the colors to give the fabric a sense of depth. It’s pretty great and I can only imagine what it was like for them, conjuring up the feel of the material through lines. The texture created by the pencil strokes is what gets me, it's smooth yet you can see the individual marks. The soft browns and grays give a calm, quiet vibe. It's like a memory of a garment, something cherished and remembered with fondness. The small sketch in the corner of the back of the dress is great. The work reminds me of how fashion designers think through their work. You can almost feel Ray Price thinking: "how does it look when you turn around?" It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, with each piece building upon the ideas of those who came before, inspiring future creativity.