Ornamentontwerpen op blokken 1876 - 1924

Curator: Here we have Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof's "Ornamentontwerpen op blokken," a pencil drawing on paper, dating from between 1876 and 1924. It's currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My immediate impression is one of organized chaos, I suppose. There's a clear geometric structure at play, but the varying motifs scattered across the page create a sense of restless energy. Curator: Exactly, and if you look closer, the repetitive nature of the geometric shapes emphasizes the labor involved in decorative arts at the time. These designs likely intended for mass production reflect a burgeoning consumer culture, wouldn’t you say? Editor: I see your point, but I’m drawn to the delicate balance between symmetry and asymmetry. Each sketch contains these intriguing contrasts, pushing and pulling the eye in unexpected directions. Curator: Which relates directly to the Art Nouveau movement’s reaction to industrialization. These decorative panels reference a yearning for pre-industrial artisanship while being designs made for industrial application. How interesting that an art so intrinsically linked to decoration tries to distinguish itself from its production process. Editor: I agree completely. And these geometrical figures can be deconstructed, parsed out and analysed using mathematical formalism. It is about deconstruction and finding relationships between forms. It's beautiful. Curator: In many ways, Dijsselhof blurs the line between artist and craftsman. We must view this artwork as both the conception and documentation of process, indicative of material constraints and artistic vision. It highlights the socio-economic underpinnings of artistic creation. Editor: For me, this work reveals the way artists and craftspeople interpreted geometry and used it as a visual language. I walk away from it with the satisfaction that complex forms are actually made up of simpler things. Curator: Absolutely, a confluence of vision and necessity captured elegantly in pencil on paper. Editor: Yes, it's fascinating how a seemingly simple medium like pencil can convey such depth of intention and visual interest.