Rocking Chair c. 1937

Curator: What an interesting drawing. The isolation of the subject really draws the eye. Editor: Indeed. Before us, we have Henry Meyers' "Rocking Chair" executed around 1937, employing both watercolor and drawing techniques. What do you find striking about this work? Curator: The rendering itself has such a quiet mood. And the separate handle-like component above and to the left, almost feels like a meditation on industrial design, even craft itself, at a moment when these things were rapidly evolving. There's something about domesticity here, perhaps something also about labor. How might this relate to art and the public role, would you say? Editor: The choice to isolate a simple rocking chair certainly encourages reflection. The meticulous detail elevates a humble object. Rocking chairs evoke rest, domesticity, perhaps aging, all loaded concepts at a time when the role of women was so strictly proscribed, and a work like this, displayed in a public setting like this gallery, speaks quietly but deliberately to those structures. Consider, too, the broader social context—the era of the New Deal, celebrating the American worker and simpler modes of life during great upheaval. It’s all rather deliberate, in a subversive kind of way, don't you think? Curator: Yes! Absolutely. This intersection of domesticity and broader social issues, explored through such a simple object is extremely impactful. It encourages a deeper look into seemingly mundane aspects of life. The placement of that disconnected rocker component at the upper-left... that too suggests dislocation. Perhaps a questioning, or even disruption, of those "simpler modes of life". The detail in the interwoven seat of the chair is striking—highlighting handicraft against this looming industrial backdrop of the 30’s. It seems like a commentary. Editor: Exactly, a subtle but strong statement. It all comes together to transform this image of a seemingly normal object into something politically and historically charged. Curator: I’ll definitely look at rocking chairs in a different way now! Editor: Me too! A reminder to look more carefully.