A Chair Like Vincent's

(246 words) Searching for a foundation to work upon.

(Originally posted to conktales.com on 1/3/22)

I’m looking for a new chair.

The one I have is cheap, made of some flimsy fake-leather imitation, and also, it is peeling. Toss a line into the LA river behind my home and you might easily snag a chair just like mine—no bait required.

In terms of function, my chair is just fine. But I have learned there’s a difference between a good chair and a great chair, and after having had this chair for five years and in five homes, I have decided that I am ready to put the work into finding something more permanent—and, more importantly, for which I myself paid the price for.

I want a chair like Vincent Van Gogh.

‍His was made of wood and had a straw seat. Most likely, it was constructed by the hands of a hardworking peasant in France, near The Yellow House where Vincent once lived.

In 1888, Vincent painted his chair. It’s called Van Gogh’s Chair—and it is, in my opinion, one of his best self portraits.

In order to find my chair, I feel as if I must prepare to spend hundreds, if not thousands of hours conducting my research.

What should the material be? How short or long should the legs be?

And should the design be simple and straightforward; or complex, with its joinery hidden away from what the untrained eye can see?

In writing this, I can only hope I am a little closer to finding out.