Jack is niet zo zakelijk 1893 - 1894

Curator: Looking at "Jack is niet zo zakelijk," also known as "Un-Business-Like Jack," a woodcut print from the late 19th century by Imagerie d'Epinal - Pellerin, don't you find the narrative unfolds in a really captivating, albeit a bit perplexing, way? There's almost a comic strip-like quality. Editor: It's true; it feels very different than typical art of that period. It's…whimsical? With all the little vignettes and slightly off-kilter scenes, how do you approach understanding something like this? Curator: I'm most drawn to its materiality and its connection to mass culture. We need to think about production. The medium, a woodcut print, speaks to a specific mode of making. This wasn’t an individual artistic pursuit in the same way we might view a painting. It's "printed expressly for the Humoristic Publishing Company," according to the bottom text, which suggests a different purpose for its existence: that it’s produced for commercial distribution to the masses. So, what kind of impact did that have on the artist and the work itself? Editor: I hadn't considered that, the actual printing and mass distribution changing the nature of the piece itself! Were individual choices compromised? Was the content reflective of that tension? Curator: Exactly! How does the need to be easily and widely consumed influence the narrative? How does a turn of the century production process dictate meaning? What's the relationship between 'folk-art', its production, and distribution? What values are being presented for a buying public to embrace? Editor: Thinking about the commercial aspect makes me see the humor in a new light too – almost satirical, with the "un-business-like" Jack going around being anything BUT efficient. Curator: Yes! It's a fascinating object lesson in understanding art not just as a singular creation, but as a product of labor and consumption within a specific historical and economic landscape. Editor: I’m seeing a totally new layer to this seemingly simple artwork. Thanks to your perspective, I'm rethinking the relationship between art, production, and society!