Dress c. 1937

Al Curry's "Dress," made in the 20th century, presents us with a study in form through the depiction of a garment in watercolor. The artwork’s dominant blue hue is immediately striking, giving the dress a weight and presence, as if lit from within. Curry renders the dress from multiple angles, emphasizing its structure and three-dimensionality. The vertical lines create an intriguing interplay of light and shadow that gives the dress a tactile, almost sculptural quality. The lines flow from the high neckline, over the puffed sleeves, down to the scalloped hemline, and the eye is encouraged to wander over the surface. Curry isn't just showing us a dress; he is deconstructing and reassembling it, inviting us to consider the underlying forms that fashion constructs around the body, and how something as everyday as clothing can be a carrier of cultural meaning.