Artworks of the Week
Ron Arad
Imagine easing into this heart. The red chair’s bright color and amusing rocking shape invite one to take a seat. Contemporary designer Ron Arad is known for his boundless experimentation and use of innovative materials. His “Soft Heart” Chair cradles the sitter in polyurethane foam and fabric, and is supported by an internal steel frame. Arad’s early career focused specifically on chairs, essentially placing the human body between function and form—seating and sculpture. In addition to his collection of design work, Arad is an accomplished sculptor and architect who considers connective, interdisciplinary qualities while undertaking diverse hybrid projects.
Ron Arad (Israeli, born 1951), "Soft Heart" Chair, 1991, 43 × 26 × 31 inches, polyurethane foam, fabric, and steel. Gift of Donna and Cargill MacMillan, Jr. 56-2012
Stephen H. Willard
Stephen H. Willard grew up in Corona, California, where his interest in landscape photography started at the young age of fourteen. Around 1914, he began to travel regularly to the Palm Springs area to capture “the great, purple shadow of Mt. San Jacinto,” and the land that he described as a “wonderland. . . surpassed by no desert land for subtle charm and fascination.” Silent Interlude represents Willard’s painted interpretation of the purple shadow cast by Mt. San Jacinto and the San Gorgonio Pass, which serves as the entrance to his “wonderland.” The Coachella Valley, along with the Mojave Desert and Death Valley, would become Willard’s primary subjects, which he continued to photograph and paint for over five decades.
Stephen H. Willard (American, 1894-1966), Silent Interlude, 1948, oil on photograph mounted on Masonite, 29 ½ X 40 inches. Gift of Dr. Beatrice Willard, 23-1977
