Chair (Ranch Type) c. 1937

Editor: So, this is "Chair (Ranch Type)", a watercolor and pencil drawing made around 1937. It has a simplicity to it, almost stark, like it’s more than just a chair… what jumps out at you when you look at it? Curator: Oh, that’s a loaded question! The humble chair, right? On the surface, it's just that: a ranch chair rendered in watercolour and pencil. But Ellen Duncan's quiet study transcends documentation, wouldn't you agree? She seems to ask: Can functional objects contain their own narrative? Think of the generations who might have sat in that very chair, a silent witness in a rustic corner. It hints at comfort, labor, rest... How do you interpret those zigzagging lines that form the chair's legs? Editor: They do make it look less… stable, more dynamic somehow. Is that maybe a nod to the rough-and-tumble life on a ranch? Curator: Precisely! It's not just representation, is it? I mean, regionalism encouraged artists to find their own vernacular. Duncan gives us that 'ranch type' chair but with a visual whisper – an intimacy achieved through her chosen medium. Editor: That's interesting! I hadn’t thought about how much the materials add to the story. Thanks for making me think about this in a completely new way. Curator: Anytime! Looking at it with you, I noticed the detail in the seat. I hadn't fully appreciated that woven texture before. Each time you look, something new unfolds.