High Chair 1936

Editor: Here we have Nicholas Gorid's "High Chair," a 1936 watercolor, pencil, and ink drawing. It's quite unassuming, really – almost austere in its simplicity. The dark wood and woven seat remind me of old family photographs. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: What I see here is a cultural artifact elevated to the status of art. The high chair itself, an object so deeply tied to the rituals of childhood, becomes a symbol. Consider the vacant chair, standing alone. What absence does it signify? Is it a memory of children grown, a symbol of lost innocence, or perhaps even the promise of future generations? Editor: That’s a really interesting point – the symbolism of the empty chair. I hadn't considered that absence. So, you see a connection to cycles of life within something as commonplace as furniture? Curator: Precisely! And the choice of media – the delicate watercolor, the precise pencil lines – it imbues the object with a certain reverence, a tenderness. It’s not just a chair; it’s a vessel of shared experience, a container of family history. Do you see a link to, say, early American portraiture in its starkness? Editor: I think I do. There is a similar, pared-down aesthetic. Before this conversation, I only considered it an object. Curator: Every object carries its story. We assign meaning, emotional weight. This is how a humble chair transcends its function, resonating with universal themes of family, memory, and the passage of time. Editor: Thinking about it as a vessel makes a lot more sense now, rather than a drawing. Curator: Exactly. I learned new things about objects.