Child's High Chair c. 1939

This is Samuel W. Ford’s rendering of a Child's High Chair. It’s painted with watercolor, in shades of brown on a light tan background. I can imagine Ford focusing in on the solid form, the shadows carefully describing each plane. The artist uses watercolor in a really descriptive way, which is so different than how I approach painting. I wonder if he was interested in memory or the way that objects are passed down through generations? There's a simplicity and clarity to the way it's rendered, a kind of no-nonsense approach that reminds me of the American modernist painters, who were also interested in documenting and celebrating everyday objects, making us see them in a new light. It makes me consider the way that each generation of artists reinterprets and builds upon what came before, keeping the conversation going. It’s a lineage! It’s a relay race!