Side Chair 1935 - 1942

Curator: This watercolour illustration, entitled "Side Chair," was created by Edna C. Rex sometime between 1935 and 1942. It seems fairly unassuming at first glance. Editor: I find something very calming about its geometric presentation. There's a real simplicity of form at play, despite the detailed fabric. It has an almost architectural serenity. Curator: Indeed. Rex employs watercolor with a precision that almost feels like she is drafting the object, not painting it. Notice how the wood grain is suggested with very delicate washes. Editor: Yes, the careful layering creates depth and allows the wood to assume almost sculptural presence within the otherwise flat field. Semiotically, it really draws your focus to the function of design itself. What are the cultural assumptions that surround furniture design? What are the lines between furniture, fine art, and pure, utilitarian design? Curator: Well, she was involved in the Index of American Design project, so documentation was part of the point, right? A chair is something we all use. Rex elevating this single chair grants everyday life this quiet sense of importance. She’s not presenting a grand vista; she's celebrating something intrinsically human, something that touches our bodies daily. Does that make sense? It's a quiet celebration of simple, functional beauty. Editor: Precisely. The beauty resides in the structure. Rex doesn’t rely on extravagant color, focusing instead on lines. It evokes what is essential: utility and elegant composition. It is quietly beautiful in its functional restraint. It creates order and elevates everyday life. Curator: This watercolour study manages to hold, at once, the plainness of utility, the subtle charm of domestic comfort, and this… this geometric beauty. What a treasure! Editor: Absolutely. A modest subject rendered with impeccable compositional discipline reveals a subtle, satisfying depth. A celebration of design principles elegantly and beautifully.