Object for an armchair 1994

Phyllida Barlow presents us with an untitled "Object for an armchair," a photograph that raises questions about the purpose and place of art. It challenges the distinction between the gallery and the domestic sphere. Made in England, Barlow’s image destabilizes traditional notions of functionality. We see a large, cylindrical form, wrapped with red bands, sitting atop an armchair that is covered with cushions, seemingly rendering it unusable. Is this sculpture, furniture, or something in between? In postwar Britain, where Barlow began her career, the role of art was often debated in relation to social reconstruction and everyday life. Art schools played a crucial role. Barlow studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art, later teaching there, and she explores the relationship between art and its social context. To understand Barlow's work, we might turn to exhibition reviews and artists' statements. This image invites reflection on the function of art within a specific cultural and institutional setting.