Kast, behorende bij een bank c. 1923

This cabinet, part of a bench, was made by E.G.C. Schubad, and is now here at the Rijksmuseum. It is a geometrical symphony in wood. I imagine Schubad working on it. He is like a choreographer of right angles, each piece of wood a dancer in his composition. I bet he imagined it, maybe even drew it on paper beforehand. I bet he also got ideas during the process, changed his mind, maybe even made mistakes which then became great ideas for the next part of the work. The cabinet's surface is a mix of textures, from the smooth panels to the grainy details. The wood tones, ranging from light yellows to deeper browns, give it a warmth. The rectilinear forms stack like a cityscape. It reminds me of other architects, designers, and artists thinking about form and function, like the Bauhaus crew. We’re all bouncing off each other, across decades, riffing on the same themes, keeping the conversation alive.