Ontwerp voor een schoengesp 1913

Editor: We’re looking at Mathieu Lauweriks’s "Design for a Shoe Buckle" from 1913, an ink drawing on paper. The geometric forms sketched here feel so precise, yet there's something organic about them too. I’m curious, what do you see in this piece? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the interplay between ornament and industry that’s characteristic of the period. Shoe buckles, once markers of status and intricate displays of craftsmanship, are now being approached with an eye towards mass production and the streamlining influence of geometric abstraction. Notice how the design almost resembles stylized machine parts. How might the shift towards industrial manufacturing affect the status of artisans like Lauweriks? Editor: So, this design reflects anxieties about industrialization creeping into decorative arts? The organic forms still remind me of Art Nouveau. Curator: Precisely! He’s referencing Art Nouveau while simultaneously responding to a world demanding efficiency and standardization. This tension is where we see the push and pull of artistic identity against prevailing socioeconomic winds. It suggests how design itself was becoming a battleground for ideas about labor, value, and the role of art in society. Considering that Lauweriks was involved with the Dutch Theosophical Society, do you think these shapes reference something larger than purely aesthetic concerns? Editor: It’s interesting to consider the Theosophical influence... I wonder if the geometric structure symbolizes a spiritual framework beneath the surface. Curator: Indeed. By viewing the piece as more than just a design sketch but also a reflection of the cultural and spiritual climate, we start to uncover its deeper significance. Art isn't created in a vacuum, and Lauweriks gives a glimpse into the shifting perspectives of early 20th-century design. Editor: I definitely see the struggle now, the balance between handcrafted artistry and the encroaching industrial age, especially in something as small as a shoe buckle. Curator: And seeing it on the grid, you get a glimpse into how this drawing would come to life through standardization, which tells a huge story about shifting values.