Testing Chair (Remembering Bessie Harvey) 1995

Thornton Dial made this sculpture, "Testing Chair (Remembering Bessie Harvey)," using found objects and paint. It looks like he starts with a simple metal chair. But then he just builds this whole universe around it, like a nest, maybe even a trap. The textures here are incredible. Thick, glossy paint holds everything together, obscuring what’s underneath, but also revealing the rough edges of the sticks and metal. There’s this constant push and pull between hiding and showing, which is so much a part of Dial's process. Look at how the paint drips and pools, creating these unexpected shapes and shadows. It’s like he’s not just painting, but actively building a world with his materials. Dial reminds me a little of Kurt Schwitters, another artist who wasn't afraid to use anything he could find to make his art. Like Schwitters, Dial shows us that art is always an ongoing conversation, where anything and everything can become a medium for expression.