Chair 1937

Editor: Here we have Arsen Maralian's "Chair," dating back to 1937, rendered in watercolor and drawing. The detail is just wonderful. What really catches my eye is how still and quiet the chair looks; I feel a sense of calm emanating from it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, calm, yes, absolutely. It's funny how the simplest things can be so evocative. To me, the magic is in the way Maralian marries a near-photographic realism with the fluidity of watercolor. The delicate balance lends it that meditative quality. Notice how the single light source kisses the curves of the chair. Editor: The light definitely makes the curves seem to flow! But it's also just… a chair. What makes this "art," and not just a technical study? Curator: That's the question, isn't it? I think it's in the way Maralian elevates the mundane. He's not just showing us a chair; he’s showing us the beauty in the everyday. It reminds me a little of those Shaker designs, stripping away ornamentation to reveal pure form. And perhaps it whispers of the comforting reliability a simple chair can offer. Do you find any personal connection there? Editor: I hadn't thought of it like that! I can almost feel the cool, smooth wood under my hand now. Curator: Exactly. Sometimes art is about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. What is one question that still lingers for you after examining the work? Editor: I still wonder why *this* chair, though... Curator: And I feel, just keep looking until something resonates deep in your soul!