Strook zwarte franje aan bezemband, op karton c. 1925

Editor: Here we have "Strook zwarte franje aan bezemband, op karton," or "Strip of black fringe on broom tape, on cardboard," made around 1925. It's mixed media, including collage, textile, and photography. The fringe and bands create these wonderfully tactile layers, but honestly, it just looks like an odd haberdashery sample. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see here a meditation on the textural and symbolic qualities inherent in everyday materials. Think of fringe, often associated with adornment and the domestic sphere. Now consider "broom tape," a utilitarian item, unseen, meant for the most menial of labor. Schnitzler juxtaposes the material's expected roles. Does that resonate with you? Editor: I suppose so. The contrast definitely stands out, like finding poetry in the mundane. Is that something unique to the modernist movement? Curator: Modernism often sought to elevate the ordinary. It challenged the traditional hierarchies of art, asking viewers to reconsider their relationships with the objects around them. What do you make of the color choices? Editor: There is a limited range of colors - dark greens, blues and blacks... perhaps suggesting somberness? I wonder if it has ties to German Expressionism. Curator: It's a subtle point to note the possible relationship between somberness, grief, and memory that exists in German culture from that period onward. There could indeed be emotional undertones linked to the cultural context of post-World War I Germany. Editor: That gives me a new way of appreciating something I initially saw as simple and plain! Curator: Exactly. It’s a potent reminder that meaning is not always readily apparent; we often need to engage with art, unpacking its layered history and cultural associations to truly appreciate its depths.