The Intervalist's Chair 1986

Douglas Abdell made "The Intervalist's Chair" from metal and I can only imagine the work that went into creating it. It is such a fun and intriguing work of art, isn't it? The metalwork looks dense. I find myself thinking about the time and the physical effort it must have taken to bend the material into these shapes. Look at how the backrest incorporates shapes and coils. I wonder, were those shapes predetermined, or did they arise spontaneously in the act of creation? I can sense a conversation between the artist and the material. It’s like they were working out some idea. What was on his mind? What intervals did he have in mind? I see a relationship to Surrealism and Dada, where forms shift and meanings are not fixed. All I can say is, that chair wouldn't look out of place in a set design for Ionesco! Artists are always talking to each other, even across decades. What is so cool is that he is now talking to us too.