Armchair c. 1938

Ernest Busenbark made this drawing of an armchair with watercolor. What strikes me is how gently the washes of color create the forms, and how subtly the artist has captured the play of light and shadow on the upholstery. It's all about the process, isn't it? The slow build-up of layers, one on top of the other, allows the image to emerge gradually, like a memory coming into focus. Look at the way the blue of the fabric is offset by the warm brown of the wood, and how the delicate lines define the shape of the chair, giving it a sense of elegance. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to shout to be heard. There is a quiet beauty in the understated, a kind of stillness that invites us to pause and reflect. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin's work, in the way it finds so much within the register of subtlety. And like her, Busenbark shows us how much feeling can be conveyed with so little.