Motiv fra Den Grimme Ælling 1934

Curator: Ah, yes, this ink drawing from 1934 is called "Motiv fra Den Grimme Ælling" – a scene inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling." Christian Kongstad Petersen is the artist behind this compelling work. Editor: It feels melancholic, doesn't it? The harsh blacks, the stark contrast… it's like looking into the duckling's soul when it feels most isolated. And those birds in the sky... they're not gentle, soaring things. More like smudges of longing. I can almost feel the paper bleeding with each stroke, a metaphor of Petersen’s struggles. What do you make of the use of ink? Curator: For Petersen, ink becomes more than just a medium, wouldn't you say? It embodies a kind of immediate vulnerability. Look at the aggressive strokes; they remind us that art-making is an active, even frantic process. Here's Petersen actively grappling with themes of marginalization, applying layers to mirror the buildup of experience... Editor: Exactly! And there’s that fascinating tension, because while the overall composition borders on abstract expressionism, those recognizable, albeit smudged, bird forms tie it back to the narrative of Andersen's tale. The raw strokes communicate not just Petersen’s thoughts, but, equally, a tangible materiality. Curator: Yes! The almost violent application mirrors the emotional turmoil of the ugly duckling story, or rather Petersen’s interpretation of it, with the figure being an expressionistic manifestation of personal feelings rather than a visual narrative. A narrative everyone has lived themselves or seen in others: the ugly duckling turned swan. Editor: I wonder if the roughness in this particular example indicates a struggle, maybe reflecting Petersen's engagement with available materials during that time? It makes me think about broader access to quality materials, about labor... Curator: Perhaps. Yet, on a metaphorical plane, the apparent constraints seem appropriate. This restriction creates room for transformation, suggesting the artist found beauty not in polished technique, but rather by working and reworking those very restraints! Editor: Makes you wonder, doesn't it? About limitations, yes, but even more, about how humans constantly try to elevate the most rudimentary elements... Curator: Yes, quite remarkable, to behold this stark beauty formed from simple tools like paper and ink, while simultaneously creating a bridge into the universal longing for acceptance and belonging.