Kitchen Chair c. 1940

Sydney Roberts created this "Kitchen Chair" with what seems to be ink or graphite on paper. I think this choice speaks to the artist’s understanding of artmaking as a really hands-on process, about labor and practice. Looking closely, you see the marks are delicate, almost tentative, carefully mapping the form of the chair. The light catches the seat, making the grain of the wood seem to curve and ripple; and the dark ink pools in the cracks, giving the old wood texture. There's a real emotional depth in the observation. And it's just a chair! Roberts's work reminds me a little bit of Agnes Martin’s, in how she coaxed so much feeling out of a spare, simple, and self-imposed set of constraints. Both artists show us that art isn't about grand gestures, but about intimate seeing and thinking. It embraces ambiguity, asking more questions than it answers.