Chair 1935 - 1942

This is Arthur Johnson's 'Chair,' and it’s hard to date it exactly, but he lived a long life. The way he uses color here, those reddish browns and purples, feels very intuitive. He’s not trying to trick you into thinking this is a real chair, more like he’s sharing a vision of one. Up close, you can see the texture he builds with these delicate strokes. It’s like he's feeling his way through the image. Look at the chair legs, they end in these strange paws; they’re so peculiar, mixing the practical with the fantastical. It’s not just about depicting something, it’s about experiencing it, feeling the contours and weight of it in your imagination. It puts me in mind of Bill Traylor, another artist working outside the mainstream, finding his own way to represent the world. I think both artists remind us that art isn't just about skill, it's about seeing and feeling deeply.