Blank 1864 - 1941

Editor: So here we have "Blank", a drawing on paper from somewhere between 1864 and 1941, by Niels Larsen Stevns. It’s… well, it's a blank page. A spread, actually, from a bound book of some sort. It has a quiet, almost expectant feel to it, like it’s waiting for something. I'm curious, what do you see here, beyond just the obvious emptiness? Curator: An invitation, perhaps? Stevns is offering us a glimpse behind the curtain of creativity. We are looking at a moment pregnant with possibility, that instant right before the artist commits an idea to paper. Think about that; what an act of generosity for an artist to share such a personal space – the potential of their own imagination. Editor: I never thought about it as generous before. It just seems so… unfinished. Curator: But isn't it finished perfectly? It captures the liminal space between thought and creation. It also asks us questions. What would *we* fill it with? What narratives or images bubble within *us*, ready to take shape? Do you think the beauty here is in the blankness, almost like potential personified, more than it is lack of creative energy or creative thought? Editor: Okay, that gives me a lot to think about. It really turns the idea of art on its head. It's less about what the artist provides and more about what the viewer brings. Curator: Exactly! It is art relying on the viewer, for its final execution. Almost a performance, every single time! And that is really, wonderfully magical! Perhaps, our own minds make this blank, and us, less so.