Dress c. 1937

Editor: Here we have "Dress," a drawing from around 1937 by Arelia Arbo. It's rendered with pencil and pen. It’s quite detailed, particularly in the ruffles and textures of the dress on the left, while the sketch on the right is more schematic. How should we approach analyzing the construction and purpose behind this kind of piece? Curator: A materialist approach encourages us to look at the drawing not just as a design, but as an artifact reflecting the labor and materials involved in both its creation and the dress it depicts. Consider the types of pencil and pen used, and the social context of dressmaking during the late 1930s. Were such designs typically done in-house or outsourced? Editor: So you’re thinking about who would have been making the drawing and why? Curator: Exactly! We must consider who the artist was, how the materials available shaped her output, and what the function of such drawings was. Was it for mass production or bespoke tailoring? This helps us understand its position in the wider economy of fashion. And don't ignore the visual contrast between the complete dress and the technical drawing, this represents the transition from design to commodity. Editor: That’s a really interesting perspective. It shifts the focus from simply appreciating its aesthetic to understanding its place in the production of fashion, even the labor! Thanks, I'll definitely keep the material aspects of both dressmaking and the creation of the drawing in mind. Curator: Yes, viewing it through a lens of production helps us understand how the materials and techniques contribute to our knowledge about the culture from which the drawing originates.