Sanctuary Chair 1941

William Kieckhofel made this drawing of a chair in a natural palette. The marks are delicate, and the chair stands alone, waiting to be sat in. I wonder about the artist when he made it. Did he select this object because it has meaning? I find myself thinking about other artists like Van Gogh who paint chairs as portraits. The surface of this work is particularly interesting. The artist’s hand has been employed in a way that reveals the grain of the wood and the marks of time. There are small details in this piece. The artist has paid particular attention to the joints and connections. It’s like Kieckhofel is in conversation with Van Gogh. It’s all a big game of telephone that has gone on since the beginning of art. The artist is speaking to the viewer in their own visual language, but it's up to us to translate what that is and come to our own conclusions. There is no wrong answer.