Horn chair 1938

Editor: Here we have Robert Taylor's "Horn Chair," created in 1938. It's a fantastical watercolor drawing. Honestly, it strikes me as something between furniture and creature! What are your initial thoughts? Curator: Oh, this piece tickles my fancy! It’s utterly whimsical, isn’t it? Look at how those horns sprout and curve, almost like living extensions of the chair itself. Makes me think of nature reclaiming domestic space, like a fairy tale waiting to happen. Tell me, does it evoke any particular myths or legends for you? Editor: I can definitely see those fantastical connections. It feels a bit like something you'd find in a unicorn's living room, if unicorns had living rooms! But I am curious about why the Arts and Crafts movement combined natural elements like this. Curator: Ah, good question! The Arts and Crafts movement was, in many ways, a response to industrialization. Artists sought to return to simpler times, emphasizing handcraftsmanship and the beauty of natural forms. Pieces like this, blurring the line between the manufactured and the organic, were like a little rebellion against mass-produced banality. But is this chair comfortable? Or a declaration? Editor: Definitely more of a statement piece, I think! Perhaps meant to be admired rather than sat upon for long. Curator: Precisely! And perhaps it hints at the wildness, and the unexpected within design. You know, this playful approach makes art history so endlessly delightful; like peering into the imaginations of geniuses! Editor: This definitely offers a unique point of view and that, combined with how much you know about art history, helped me have a fresh look at Arts and Crafts! Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! I always see art like unlocking an imagination, always great to help people finding their own "keys".