Hoofden van Afrikanen c. 1916 - 1945

Editor: Here we have Reijer Stolk’s “Hoofden van Afrikanen,” or “Heads of Africans,” a pencil drawing made sometime between 1916 and 1945. The overlapping sketches have an ethereal feel. What draws your attention in this work? Curator: I'm particularly interested in the artistic process evidenced here. Notice the visible pencil lines, the pentimenti, and the collage element at the top. These show us Stolk’s hand and decision-making explicitly. Editor: Right, it's like we're seeing the artist think. The process is laid bare. Curator: Exactly! And consider the economic aspects. Stolk is using humble materials: pencil and paper. This simplicity forces us to focus on the act of creation itself. Is this accessibility intentional? Is Stolk perhaps commenting on art’s inherent value or lack thereof, through the starkness of his medium? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. So, the very materials and the act of drawing become the statement? Curator: Precisely. Think also about the social context of portraying African figures during this period. Was Stolk engaging with prevailing colonial narratives, or subverting them? The drawing’s seeming incompleteness leaves space for questioning, for challenging consumption of images. It doesn't give the viewer all the answers. Editor: So, it’s not just *what* is depicted but *how* it’s made that really matters. Curator: Yes! It allows us to deconstruct not just the image, but also the system of its production and potential consumption. By emphasizing process, the artwork prompts us to analyze not just the artistic skill but the socio-political framework. Editor: That's given me so much to think about. It’s amazing how much can be gleaned by considering the materials and techniques. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Approaching art this way reveals its embeddedness in larger economic and cultural structures, prompting more questions.