Gevouwen vorm 1986

Curator: Welcome. We're standing before Maria van Elk's "Gevouwen vorm," a collage created in 1986. It primarily features paper as its medium, showcasing geometric abstraction. Editor: First thought? That saturated purple diamond seems to be levitating on a subtle white ground, giving off such an unexpected and soothing presence. It's both solid and strangely weightless. Curator: Interesting. When considering Van Elk's practice, especially during this period, it’s vital to examine her meticulous process. Note how she treats the material—not just as support but as an integral part of the composition. She consciously folds and layers, embracing the physical qualities of the paper itself. Editor: True. And it's the kind of "doing-away-with-more-than-doing" that whispers rather than shouts! Makes you wonder if it’s a deliberate statement on labor and reduction. Do less, reveal more! Curator: Precisely. Van Elk’s works often engage with modernist principles, reducing forms to their essential components. The act of folding, simple as it appears, transforms the surface and creates depth, blurring the lines between sculpture and image. Consider also the social context of the time. Collage, as a medium, found prominence, challenging traditional notions of art production through its accessibility and emphasis on process over virtuosity. Editor: You know, it's tempting to read emotional intent in this. The geometric, perfect form contrasting with the paper's natural fibers, it feels so balanced yet vulnerable! Maybe that purple signifies some concealed passion? Curator: Maybe, or it speaks more directly about material transformation—the power of the everyday made exceptional through artistic intervention. We see the consumption of something ordinary converted into art, and it prompts contemplation on worth and attention. Editor: Well, regardless of which lens we view it from, its enduring presence invites pause, right? That little gem makes you slow down, see beyond first impressions, see more through the simple. Curator: Indeed. A powerful testament to considered creation, and a testament to what can come about when material constraints embrace artistic freedom.