Evening Dress c. 1937

Editor: Here we have a pencil drawing entitled "Evening Dress," dating from around 1937, by Ray Price. It features what appears to be a sketch of a long, green gown. I’m really drawn to the way the pencil strokes mimic the fabric's texture. What strikes you most about it? Curator: I’m fascinated by the depiction of dressmaking itself. The labor and the physical process of creation are highlighted in this image, from the initial design sketch to the potential materiality of the dress. Note how the visible pencil strokes and even the secondary sketch underscore the artist's, and likely the garment workers’, hand in the production of fashion. How might this contrast with the idea of ‘high art’ portraits of the time? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn’t considered the implications of it being just a drawing *of* clothing rather than the clothing itself. Curator: Precisely. The sketch acts as a material document. Consider also the role of fashion magazines in the 1930s and the rise of consumer culture. How might this drawing fit into that context as a blueprint of consumption and the associated labor practices, instead of celebrating elitist consumerism? Editor: I guess the drawing invites us to consider not just the final glamorous product, but all the work and industry involved. Now I wonder about who this artist was and whether he/she also labored in clothing factories? Curator: Exactly. It becomes less about an ideal evening, and more about the socio-economic landscape that allows such evenings – and dresses – to exist. This artwork, by simply representing a garment's construction, critiques the entire fashion apparatus. Editor: That shifts my understanding completely! Thank you. I now see this "Evening Dress" not just as an object of beauty, but also as a representation of work. Curator: Indeed, considering its means of production can change our perception entirely.