Windsor Chair c. 1936

This 'Windsor Chair' by Gerald Bernhardt uses what looks like watercolour to show the simple elegance of woodwork. You can almost feel the artist feeling their way around this humble object. Bernhardt uses thin washes of colour to build the form, so the chair seems lit from within, and has a warmth to it. Look closely at the legs, and you'll notice how the artist has worked to create a sense of roundness with just a few strokes of the brush. There’s a real love of the material on display here. The artist isn’t trying to trick you into thinking this *is* a chair, instead they’re just showing you how it feels to look at one. There’s something about the directness of this approach that reminds me of Agnes Martin’s paintings. Both artists create works that invite us to slow down and appreciate the beauty of simple things. And when you do slow down, it’s amazing what you start to notice.