Dress c. 1940

This is Lester Kausch's "Dress", made with watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper. Looking at the way Kausch has rendered the fabric, you get the sense that they are not just depicting an object, but also thinking through the process of its making. The palette is soft and airy, mostly pastel pinks and whites, and the surface is smooth, without any impasto or textural variation. The fabric has been meticulously painted, capturing the folds and curves of the dress with precision. It's fascinating how the artist brings out the subtleties in a seemingly simple subject. If you look closely at the individual flowers, you see how each has been rendered with tiny strokes and details, giving the whole dress an almost life-like quality. It reminds me of Fairfield Porter's paintings of domestic interiors, also capturing the simple beauty of everyday objects. It's in the making of the marks that the artwork comes to life.