Gezicht op een Kerk 1895

Editor: This is Bernhard Pankok's "Gezicht op een Kerk," an etching from 1895. The muted tones give it a hazy, almost dreamlike quality. What do you see in this print? Curator: As a materialist, I am drawn to the process itself. This etching allows us to consider the labour involved, the skilled hand manipulating the tools to create the image. Consider the physical act of etching, the corrosive acids biting into the metal plate; a dance between artist, material, and technology. Editor: It's interesting to think about that labor, how it connects to the final image. Curator: Precisely! The seemingly delicate and hazy image is the direct result of a rigorous, almost industrial process. Pankok, by choosing etching, places himself within a specific lineage of printmakers, participating in a visual culture rooted in reproduction and accessibility. Also, does this technique contribute to the “symbolism” aesthetic in the way of reproducible art form as commodity and access? Editor: Yes, thinking about the medium broadens the idea from one symbolic perspective to one where this artwork can be reproduced across wider consumption chains. So how the piece made, gives new meaning. Curator: Indeed. It invites us to question the traditional hierarchy separating 'fine art' from 'craft' by foregrounding the means of production. Think about who would have accessed this artwork, and how. That labour-intensive method results in something that is inherently replicable. What social strata of owners might enjoy it and hang this artwork, and which social classes would not have the agency to display it. Editor: It really shifts how you view it – less about pure aesthetics and more about the whole system of making and consuming art. Curator: Exactly! Considering materiality gives artwork greater access and understanding. Editor: Thank you. I will carry this with me into any new work I engage with.