Notater 1930 - 1938

Curator: "Notater," or "Notes," created by Niels Larsen Stevns between 1930 and 1938. We’re looking at ink, pen, watercolor, and coloured pencil on paper. To me, it presents a peek into the artist's mind – the private space of artistic creation. How does this medium and the form of the notebook itself strike you? Editor: Well, the notebook aspect, for me, makes it immediately feel intimate. The jottings are quite casual. What really strikes me, though, is how raw it feels. Like, less an artwork and more a… well, notes. What do you make of its seeming incompleteness? Curator: Exactly! Consider the labour usually involved in ‘finished’ artwork, particularly painting during this period. Then contrast that against the immediacy of a notebook. The artist is working, producing something, but not for direct consumption, which allows the materials to take on new qualities. What is Stevns doing by making these usually private notations available for viewing? Editor: Perhaps questioning what constitutes ‘art’ then? By presenting the means of production – the raw notes – he blurs that line, suggesting the process itself has artistic merit. I’d have walked past it if it was a photograph of that beach instead! Curator: Precisely. And the use of readily available, inexpensive materials—ink, pencil, common paper—further emphasizes the democratization of the artistic process. How might this relate to the broader social context of the time? Editor: Maybe it reflects a move away from traditional elite art forms towards a more accessible and relatable expression for a broader audience. I didn't expect to think about that when looking at notebook jottings! Curator: See? The mundane transformed through material consideration. Editor: Definitely makes you think about what it really means to "make" art. Thanks, I see so much more in it now.