Side Chair c. 1937

Curator: Well, isn’t that simply darling! Something about it feels… poised, doesn’t it? Very upright citizen kind of vibe. Editor: This watercolor and graphite drawing by Ernest Busenbark, titled "Side Chair," dates to around 1937. It seems like a fairly straightforward depiction, but I wonder if we can unpack some of the context. Curator: A “Side Chair,” eh? So demure. But those claw feet! There’s a hint of wildness under all that polite society veneer, wouldn’t you say? The Arts and Crafts movement always did have a touch of pagan earthiness lurking beneath the hand-worked wood. Editor: Absolutely. Those feet definitely complicate the narrative. We need to consider the social hierarchy implied in depicting a seemingly commonplace object. Who is permitted to sit, who isn't, and what kinds of labor and class structures support this level of crafted comfort? Curator: Oh, comfort. Definitely comfort! I can practically feel the plushness of that dark upholstered seat. Imagine sinking into that after a long day of… well, of whatever gentlefolk did in 1937 to tire themselves out. Croquet, perhaps? Editor: More likely, the implied owner benefited from the exploitation of others. Labor practices, gender roles of the time… this chair, by its very design, signifies access and exclusion. It is far from neutral, despite appearing so domestic. Curator: Hmm, always got to stir things up, don't you? I do see what you mean, though. Even a simple chair participates in a larger social ballet. But maybe it's also a little escape? A lovingly crafted object made during difficult times, offering solace in its solid, handmade beauty. A bit of resistance, perhaps? In a quiet, chair-shaped way? Editor: Resistance or complicity. I think both can be true. The skill and dedication in crafting this chair certainly speak to the values of the Arts and Crafts movement, a rejection of industrialization, but to what end? Was it intended to truly uplift the working class, or mainly to serve the elite with a curated sense of social consciousness? Curator: Well, those questions just sort of sit there, don't they? Kind of heavy, like settling into that very proper, claw-footed chair. Gives one something to chew on, for sure. Editor: It does indeed. And that is often the power of art, prompting us to look closer at the structures—seen and unseen—that shape our world.