Side Chair c. 1936

This is Rolland Livingstone's 'Side Chair', a drawing, although its exact date is unknown. The lines in this drawing are so gentle and precise, almost tentative, aren't they? It's like Livingstone is feeling his way around the shape of this chair. What I find really interesting is the way he's handled the color. It's so subtle, so understated. Look at the seat, how the tones shift from dark to light. It's all done with such delicate washes of color. He’s got this real lightness of touch. Like he’s letting the water do its thing, letting the pigment flow. And it's in these little details, these subtle gradations of color that the chair really comes to life. The dark seat, set against the pale paper – it's a really beautiful, and understated moment. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, that same sense of quietness, of stillness. It's not about making a big statement, it's about finding beauty in the everyday.