Vogel 1834 - 1903

Editor: So, here we have "Vogel" or "Bird" created between 1834 and 1903 by Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch, it’s a pencil drawing on paper. It seems incredibly simple, almost like a preliminary sketch, but the texture of the paper is intriguing. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: My attention is drawn to the explicit nature of the materiality. Weissenbruch's choice of humble materials - pencil and paper – directly impacts our understanding. It’s not about illusionism, but the raw physicality of the act of drawing. The smudge at the top calls attention to its own creation. Editor: So, its value resides in the simplicity? Curator: Not merely the simplicity, but what that simplicity reveals about the means of production. We see the labor, the artist's hand, not striving for perfect representation, but exploring form through direct engagement with the material. The social context comes into play too – readily available and cheap materials allowed for accessibility to artistic expression. How does this challenge our traditional notion of high art? Editor: Well, traditionally, we value art made with costly, durable material that are supposed to stand the test of time. Something quick like this may seem of lesser value. But looking closer I realize that its value is really that it represents freedom and accessibility. Curator: Exactly! This challenges that hierarchy. It emphasizes process over the finished product, making visible the artist’s exploration, and also suggesting how anyone can start with artmaking, by experimenting with ordinary things, labor, and the accessibility of these mediums to a wider audience. It provokes the very question of value, no? Editor: It certainly does! Seeing the material so plainly definitely shifts the focus to the "how" and "why" rather than just the "what". Curator: Precisely. It pushes us to consider the means of production and how those choices affect our perception and value attribution. We are both seeing the means of production on display, while gaining insight on Weissenbruch’s intentions.