Designs for restaurant and bar interiors with curving bars and stairways.] [Sketches for bars and restaurants 1910

Editor: This mixed-media drawing, titled "Designs for restaurant and bar interiors," created by Winold Reiss around 1910, has a peculiar quality. The composition is really interesting with those rectangular partitions that create modular interior spaces. How do you interpret this work, focusing on the intrinsic properties of the composition? Curator: Focusing purely on the formal aspects, the interplay of geometric forms is quite compelling, wouldn't you agree? Note how the planes intersect, defining spaces through colour and line, offering a dynamic visual experience rather than a literal representation. Do you notice any recurring visual motifs within these designs? Editor: I do notice the use of rectangles and lines which seem to create modular partitions, which in turn defines distinct areas within each proposed interior design. The blocks of solid color—like that assertive yellow—appear against sketched architectural details and this tension certainly holds the attention! Is there anything more to uncover through its aesthetic organization? Curator: Consider the material qualities. The texture of the paper juxtaposed with the varying densities of pencil, ink, and perhaps gouache, creating a layered effect, wouldn't you say? Each material contributes to a distinct visual language, playing with depth and surface. How might these diverse artistic choices convey certain ideas or moods from a structuralist vantage point? Editor: That contrast definitely adds to the mood; now I see a conversation unfolding between the media. It looks vibrant. The stark lines, contrasted by the filled-in shapes creates a dynamic balance which feels very optimistic for design's possibilities. I suppose dissecting its arrangement shows just how powerful fundamental components like medium and shape can be. Curator: Precisely. Stripping away any contextual understanding allows us to appreciate the formal structure for its intrinsic visual impact and that creates another layer of aesthetic value. Editor: It's remarkable how much one can find just by looking at composition, line, and materials themselves! Curator: Indeed. There's an entire dialogue waiting within its design language.