Spool Armchair c. 1936

Curator: Looking at this drawing from around 1936, it's really interesting—it depicts a "Spool Armchair," crafted with coloured pencil and watercolour by Ella Josephine Sterling. It makes me wonder what these pieces tell us about craft and utility. Editor: My first thought? It’s like a chair designed by a particularly imaginative candy maker! I imagine sitting there with licorice-twist thoughts swirling through my mind. Is it odd that the missing seat evokes such a vivid absence for me? Curator: It does seem the chair's decorative elements undermine its function somewhat. The excessive spooling requires substantial skilled labour—potentially diverting resources. Though this piece might reflect mass production aspirations? What do you think of its materiality here, presented only as image? Editor: It's strange, isn't it? Rendering something so material, something literally designed to be sat upon and physically interacted with, in such an ethereal medium. Watercolour softens what I imagine to be the rather unforgiving reality of wood. It almost gentrifies labour into "art." Curator: Exactly! It begs the question of the role of illustration at that time: Is it celebrating design, critiquing excess, or simply cataloguing a specific style? The decorative arts have always navigated between pure art and practical creation— where do you think Sterling lands on this spectrum, visually? Editor: Well, with the focus on detail and the lack of human presence, I would suggest that it emphasizes observation rather than intended interaction. There is something both sterile and incredibly tender in this careful rendering. So, maybe in that duality, it lives everywhere on that spectrum at once? Curator: I like that. It shows, for me, how a seemingly simple image can contain layered meanings, prompting discussions far beyond its aesthetic appearance. We both bring so much of ourselves when we interpret works like these. Editor: Absolutely. Looking at this Spool Armchair, so precise and somewhat whimsical, invites one to find the sweet and maybe a little of the absurd in everyday construction.