Voortgedragen lichamen c. 1965 - 1980

Curator: Looking at Aat Verhoog's drawing, “Voortgedragen lichamen," which roughly translates to “Carried Bodies," created sometime between 1965 and 1980, one is immediately struck by its surreal and disquieting atmosphere. It’s currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first thought? A wave of uncanny valley vibes. It feels like a memory fading, or perhaps a half-remembered dream… you know, that point where things start to warp and logic takes a holiday. The hatching lines covering the ground are especially disconcerting, like restless waves under the feet of these spectral figures. Curator: Absolutely. Verhoog’s medium of ink on paper lends itself beautifully to this sense of instability. The composition is quite striking as well. He's created zones, with different textures, tones, and figuration. You've got floating bodies and geometric spaces colliding on what feels like a single psychological plane. Editor: The stark geometry juxtaposed with the flowing lines of the bodies certainly cranks up the tension. It almost feels like a deconstruction of classic Pietà scenes – the supporting figures are so stiff, so impersonal, and the carried bodies… there's an absence of any obvious emotional connection between carrier and carried, a chilling sense of detachment. Curator: Yes! This drawing fits into a conceptual and neo-expressionist context where exploring raw human emotion through distorted figuration and fragmented narratives became a potent means to reflect the anxieties of the time. Editor: And those haunting, sketch-like heads looming in the background! Are they specters, or are they part of a memory… almost like thought bubbles or ghosts of figures previously present. I love the way the lack of definition pulls you in to consider the meaning and narratives the artwork represents. It’s unsettling and evocative. Curator: Exactly. I see the artist wrestling with the weight of responsibility, the act of care, and how even in the most intimate moments, we can experience a profound disconnect. Thank you for unpacking some of those nuances with me! Editor: It’s fascinating how Verhoog uses such a simple medium to explore such complex themes of connection, alienation, and memory. A truly haunting piece.