Chair 1935 - 1942

Editor: We're looking at Simon Weiss's "Chair," created sometime between 1935 and 1942, using drawing and watercolor techniques. It's a rather simple rendition, quite neutral in tone. What jumps out at you? Curator: The piece compels us to think about the labor involved in both the chair's construction and its depiction. The wood itself, where did it come from? What tools were used to shape it? The watercolor and drawing similarly require tools, pigment, paper - all commodities with specific histories and modes of production. Editor: That's interesting; I was just thinking about its form. So, you see beyond the representation of the object? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the context in which this piece was made. The 1930s and early 40s, the Great Depression, the looming shadow of war. A simple chair like this speaks to basic needs, the materials accessible for creation. Is it just a humble chair, or something else entirely? Where and how could someone acquire those items for production at that specific time in history? Editor: I hadn’t thought of the impact that era might have. I focused just on the form, but it makes sense. All of those historical considerations bring in another dimension of social meaning into this work of art. Curator: Exactly. By focusing on the materiality and processes behind this unassuming chair, we expose the social and economic conditions of its time. What about you, has this changed your initial impressions? Editor: It really has. I came in thinking of a straightforward depiction of an object, now, I am viewing this piece as an index into its production, labour, and cultural-historic timeline.