Chair c. 1937

Curator: Before us is George Fairbanks' "Chair," dating back to circa 1937. The medium is a delicate blend of watercolor and pencil on paper. Editor: It possesses an oddly calming aura, like a blueprint for comfort. The chair, bathed in a soft blue, exudes an almost melancholic peace. The academic style offers an interesting starkness. Curator: Let's delve into that a bit. Notice how Fairbanks utilizes both line and color to delineate form and volume. The structure relies heavily on the interplay of straight lines and subtle curves. See the way the watercolor infuses the blue upholstery with variations, hinting at depth. Editor: Absolutely, and that shade of blue... it speaks volumes, doesn't it? For me, blue signifies tranquility, introspection, even sadness. Consider the association of the color blue with the Virgin Mary and associated sense of both purity and mourning. Is the artist perhaps referencing deeper concepts through the application of blue in what is otherwise a technical exercise? The ghost of use lingers even though this piece of design documentation Curator: Interesting that you see Marian iconography in furniture design! It's true that the artist selected blue with an eye towards affecting the affect. The artist uses geometric forms of academic formalism, a rational approach. I don't see much emotional intention within that specific visual language, except the pursuit of precision itself. Editor: But surely, every mark is imbued with meaning. Even the choice of the cold, measured pencil lines suggests an intention to communicate a detached precision, which ironically hints at a lack of feeling in its pristine rendering. Even the "objective" academic style reflects a value judgment: the emphasis on reason and control over spontaneity and emotion. The dream of an Age of Reason has clearly imprinted on this piece. Curator: Your insights definitely broaden my appreciation for its cultural layers. While I am mostly struck by its formal and geometrical rigor, your observations highlight potential cultural and emotional significations beyond what's initially visible. Editor: Likewise, exploring the architecture through the vocabulary of formalism brings a structural solidity to those meanings. Curator: Thank you for lending your vision, this was illuminating. Editor: It's been a pleasure untangling those lines with you.