Foto Modern Molenstraat Lochem Possibly 1953 - 1958

Curator: This small ink drawing, possibly dating from the mid-1950s, is called "Foto Modern Molenstraat Lochem" and resides here at the Rijksmuseum. It presents a fascinating, geometric rendering of what seems to be a street scene. Editor: Wow, my initial gut feeling is surprisingly zen. Despite being a "foto," the drawing is almost mandala-like, creating this concentrated sense of stillness... a silent eye in the storm. What do you think about that choice of the form? Curator: I agree. The circular form invites the viewer into a cyclical experience of meaning-making. Consider how mandalas often represent wholeness, the cosmos. Here, it perhaps elevates the "modern" street to something more profound – a locus of cultural identity, even a mirror reflecting the community's spirit. The arrow-like details of the mandala push you towards that understanding. Editor: It almost feels subversive. "Foto Modern," modern photo, but rendered with this ancient symbolism. And using ink? You've got the very deliberate hand against the supposed immediacy of the modern photo. It tickles me that they juxtapose modernity with age-old approaches to understanding life, and the symbolism embedded within our environments. It challenges my preconceptions of technological advances changing our need to visually reflect on a deeper level. Curator: Precisely! The very act of selecting ink on paper underscores a continuity between past and present ways of understanding our place within space. Each stroke speaks to an embodied experience, the physical and mental labour of seeing, representing, and preserving memory within this singular form. Editor: A thought-provoking piece. For such a simple image, there is great complexity and mystery about the interplay between past and present, tradition and modernity... Curator: ...an intriguing intersection that provides the artwork a transcending character above just a normal visual representation of space, allowing a look at human interaction within.