Sofa 1935 - 1942

Editor: Here we have "Sofa," a drawing in pencil by John Dieterich, created sometime between 1935 and 1942. The rendering is very technical and architectural. It reminds me a little bit of a blueprint. How would you interpret a piece like this? Curator: That’s a great starting point. When I see this, I think about the role of design in shaping domestic spaces, especially during the interwar period. Dieterich’s careful rendering invites us to consider how furniture wasn’t just functional, but also a marker of social status and aspiration. Consider the clean lines and the overall striving towards balance and order. What anxieties and desires are embedded in the project of designing domesticity? Editor: So, you're saying that the design reflects something deeper about the society and the time period it came from? The pursuit of order you mentioned makes sense to me, considering the global instability during those years. Curator: Precisely. And let's consider the *absence* of detail, which allows viewers to project their own experiences onto the furniture design. To whom was Dieterich addressing with this blueprint? And how might this proposed “Sofa” reinforce or subvert conventions tied to gendered or classed behaviors within the domestic sphere? Editor: I never thought of it that way. So even a seemingly straightforward design drawing like this can be unpacked for the societal values and power dynamics that it suggests. Curator: Exactly! This image prompts critical engagement with questions related to use and accessibility. Art can serve as an artifact that represents evolving cultural needs, values, and the aspirations that reflect historical context. Editor: Thanks, that’s really helpful to think about. I’ll never look at furniture drawings the same way again.