Settee c. 1936

This technical drawing of a settee was made by Robert Brigadier sometime in the 20th century, using pencil on paper. Look at these fine, controlled lines – what did it feel like for the artist to make this plan? I imagine Brigadier carefully measuring and calculating, making sure every line was precise. What a painstaking, meditative process! The drawing has a beauty all of its own. It reminds me that technical drawings can be appreciated for their own aesthetic qualities, not just as functional plans. I wonder if Brigadier considered the negative spaces between the spindles and legs, the curves and lines, the proportions of each component? In a way, this drawing is a conversation between form and function, precision and possibility. It's like a score for a dance, or a recipe for a feeling. And in that sense, Brigadier becomes a collaborator across time and media.