Ode to the Chair: Part One Painting

Ode to the Chair: How often do you notice the chair you're sitting in—only when it's uncomfortable, or perhaps when it's extremely comfortable? Nowadays, a chair can easily go unnoticed. An accessory in the dining room. Part of the backdrop of an office. We expect one in a waiting room, a theater, and a restaurant. They are considered a functional item, an everyday object. But this wasn't always the case. The chair was once a symbol of authority and prestige, reserved only for the elite—a symbol of wealth. Where a pharaoh or lord may have been seated in a chair, a peasant or commoner would have found their place on a bench or the floor. However, times have changed. The Industrial Revolution, modern technology, and the introduction of new materials and methods of manufacturing have democratized the availability of chairs. The status of the chair has evolved; the once prestigious object is now accessible to all. And now I ask: Is this a good thing? Is it beneficial that we now spend so much time in a chair, so far removed from the ground? Are we doing our bodies any good by subjecting them to this unnatural position for hours upon hours each day? Has our attempt to level out elitism taken us in the wrong direction? We have been elevated. But is that where we should be? Paintings from this series explore the evolution of this everyday object, encouraging the viewer to see the chair beyond its utilitarian purpose. Inspired by this shift in status and perception, I wanted to capture the chair as a symbol of reflection—an object that bears witness to our most intimate moments, yet is often ignored. The empty chair in each piece represents both presence and absence, serving as a reminder of human connection, isolation, and the passage of time. It invites contemplation: How has our relationship with such a simple object transformed, and what does it say about how we live today?