Uniform c. 1936

Editor: Lillian Causey's "Uniform," circa 1936, rendered in watercolor and drawing. I find it both captivating and faintly unsettling, this deconstructed military outfit with the head of an aloof character... almost like a costume study, slightly cartoonish. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Oh, absolutely! It dances on that delightful tightrope between reality and something slightly…off. It whispers to me of backstage secrets and dress-up games long forgotten. And you’re right; it IS like a costume study – think of all the theatre that blossomed in that era, the need for authentic-looking garb for historical dramas! Does the subject's expression make you think of anyone or anything specific? Editor: The upward gaze maybe has a sense of self-importance or, potentially, being out of touch with reality. This exaggerated portrait gives the character a comical look. Curator: Mmm, that comedic touch... It's so important not to take things *too* seriously, isn’t it? Lillian understood that – look at those exaggerated epaulettes! Does the fact that it’s not *on* anyone specific make the garment itself a kind of protagonist, do you think? Like the uniform *is* the point. Editor: That's interesting; in my opinion, it's impossible to think about the garment without ascribing personality traits to the face. For me, the absence makes me imagine who could potentially occupy the costume. Curator: See, that's what’s brilliant – the emptiness is actually teeming with possibilities, with *potential* people! The uniform becomes a vessel to carry our own ideas of power, history, or even… satire. What I love about it is that is has this kind of unpolished immediacy. Editor: Definitely. That gives us plenty to think about. I am interested in researching other artworks by the same artist! Curator: Absolutely. This work stays with you. You may see that there is still more for you to uncover in other pieces by Lillian Causey.