Boerderij aan een vaart 1887 - 1952

Editor: So, this is "Boerderij aan een vaart," or "Farm on a Canal," by Chris van der Windt, made sometime between 1887 and 1952. It’s an etching on paper, a little landscape scene. It feels…delicate, I guess? What stands out to you when you look at it? Curator: For me, the intrigue lies in the materials and the method of production. Etching itself is a fascinating industrial process. We have to consider the physical act of the artist, repeatedly handling and manipulating the metal plate, applying acid, the physical labor. It moves art away from the realm of pure aesthetic experience and toward considering the labor embedded within it. Do you think about the process much? Editor: I guess I mostly think about the image itself. The textures are really interesting. Curator: Exactly! Think about how those textures are achieved. It’s not just the artist’s hand, but also the biting action of the acid, and the quality of the paper used for the print. These elements, combined with the labor that goes into it, they challenge our idea of what "fine art" really is. Look at the materials van der Windt chose, not extravagant at all. Did that limit or expand the artist's creative scope, do you think? Editor: I never really considered it that way, how the "ingredients" change the outcome so drastically. It’s like baking! The type of flour completely changes the texture of the bread. Curator: Precisely! And thinking about who had access to these processes, these materials at this time, opens up even wider social implications of production and consumption, beyond the farm depicted. Editor: I see what you mean. By focusing on the physical aspects, it gives you a completely different angle. Curator: Absolutely. Instead of getting lost in romantic ideas of rural life, we engage with the art's actual making. Perhaps even understand a little more about the social conditions around the landscape, and its representation. Editor: Well, now I’m thinking about all the different types of paper, and the social implications of paper mills… thanks! Curator: Exactly, that’s materiality in action! Always look beyond the surface image.