Vajda Lajos Current, 1940, Charcoal on Paper, 90x126cm 1940

Editor: Right, so this is Lajos Vajda’s “Current,” a charcoal drawing on paper from 1940. It’s… intense. Almost claustrophobic, with this tangled mass of lines. What strikes you most about it? Curator: The medium itself, charcoal on paper, immediately signals something important. Charcoal is readily available, inexpensive – a democratic material, if you will. In 1940, Hungary, and the world, was in turmoil, materials and labor are strained. That Vajda chose this accessible medium suggests a conscious decision, maybe even a commentary on the availability of resources during wartime, or perhaps an acknowledgement that even simple tools could make great works. What do you make of that choice? Editor: That makes me think about how physical the creation of art is. You know, the rubbing of the charcoal onto the paper, the energy it takes. It’s easy to forget the labor when we see a finished drawing in a gallery. Is it a simple study on nature or a statement through his artistic choices? Curator: Precisely! Consider the act of drawing itself, the repetitive movements, the mark-making. Think of this "current," a physical process translating onto paper. The intensity comes not just from the final image, but also from the labor involved in its creation. How much do you see this as a product, and how much as an instance of repetitive labor, making marks again and again to create volume? Editor: That reframes how I see it. I was so focused on trying to interpret the "meaning" that I almost missed the process itself. It’s like the drawing is evidence of an action. Curator: And by extension, the availability – or lack thereof – of materials shapes the artist’s hand and, consequently, the work itself. Looking at "Current" with a materialist lens really underscores how art is rooted in concrete conditions. I wonder what it would look like had he used different material? Editor: Yeah, I'll definitely be thinking about the materials artists use in a different light going forward. Thanks!