Big stone-built barn at Commune Ollon - at the foot of mountain 'La Glaivaz, Switzerland 1980

Editor: We're looking at Hubertine Heijermans' 1980 etching, "Big stone-built barn at Commune Ollon - at the foot of mountain 'La Glaivaz, Switzerland." It’s a rather stark image, almost severe in its composition. The texture of the stone and the precise lines of the etching give it a real sense of depth, but it feels...empty, somehow. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Indeed. Formally, I'm immediately drawn to the interplay of textures. The artist masterfully uses etching to differentiate the rough-hewn stone of the barn's lower section from the smoother wood of its upper levels. Observe how the horizontal lines of the slats contrast with the verticality of the overall structure. Editor: Yes, the lines are very striking. It's like a grid imposed on the more organic shape of the barn. Curator: Precisely. This tension between the geometric and the organic is further emphasized by the backdrop of the mountain, which echoes the textures but subverts the lines through its organic mass. How do you perceive the use of light in establishing these structural elements? Editor: I guess the shading makes the barn feel weighty, grounded, but it also isolates it. The sky is left mostly untouched, making the barn seem even more distinct from its surroundings. Curator: An insightful observation. It isolates it formally. The success of the artist hinges on creating an image that simultaneously utilizes texture, form and void. It gives a powerful and enduring statement, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. I initially focused on the isolation and starkness, but I appreciate how the structure itself, and its elements, carry that sense, with textures, lines, and space interacting in that mood.