Hitchcock Chair 1935 - 1942

Genevieve Sherlock made this painting of a ‘Hitchcock Chair’. It’s like she’s set out to capture the very idea of a chair. The black and tan paint is laid down flat and simple. Look closely, and you’ll see how the artist has depicted the texture of the woven seat, each stroke considered. It makes me think about the way a folk artist might build up a picture, piece by piece. The real magic is in the details: those small circular embellishments painted in gold. They bring a certain rhythm to the whole composition. They remind me of the way a pattern repeats in a quilt or a piece of folk art pottery. I’m reminded of the work of Bill Traylor, another artist who found beauty and meaning in the everyday. Like Traylor, Sherlock invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, finding art in the simplest of forms.