Vergewaltigungs- oder Mordszene und Skizze mit maskiertem Mann (Sketch of a Rape or Murder and Sketch with Masked Man) [p. 4] 

Editor: This is a sketchbook page by Max Beckmann entitled *Sketch of a Rape or Murder and Sketch with Masked Man*. It looks like it was quickly rendered using pencil and ink on toned paper. I’m immediately struck by how raw and unsettling the figures seem, even in this rough state. What draws your attention when you look at it? Curator: As a materialist, I am interested in the function of such preparatory sketches. The cheap paper stock and rapid execution suggest a focus on immediate conceptualization over preciousness or perfection. It is not just about high art; it's about process. How do the economic constraints and available tools influence the form and content? Editor: That’s a good point. The disposable nature of the sketchbook contrasts with the gravity of the subject matter, especially considering its suggestive title. Does that contrast change how we perceive it? Curator: Exactly. Consider the physical labor involved, too. These sketches are records of thought translated through bodily action—the pressure of the pencil, the speed of the hand. Also, the "personal sketchbook" element may be more telling; what was the intention? Was it for personal or external consumption? Editor: Interesting. So, by looking at the materials and how it was made, we learn something new about Beckmann’s thought process or his intentions, and not only that, we realize there's more beyond the simple drawing we see at first sight. Curator: Precisely. And in turn it enables us to explore the socio-cultural values associated with making something to be put away in a private repository versus exhibition and widespread dissemination, which would change its place in art. Editor: I've definitely never considered approaching art in this manner, and it enriches how to consider artistic practices. Curator: Understanding the materiality provides insight into what might otherwise be lost or obscured.