Beaux Chair 1975

Ree Morton made this sculpture, Beaux Chair, from humble materials, but it's bursting with theatricality. I can imagine her wrestling with these forms, coaxing the blue-painted wood into shape, layering the polka-dotted fabric and ribbons to create this bizarre, funny little chair. The whole thing feels precarious, like a prop from a play. The over-sized bow is kind of absurd, but it's also got this melancholic, droopy vibe, don't you think? Ree Morton, I feel like she was channeling something deep, maybe even a little tragic, through these playful forms. It reminds me of other artists like Eva Hesse, who also used unconventional materials to explore vulnerability and fragility. I think artists are always in conversation, riffing off each other's ideas, pushing the boundaries of what art can be.