Orkaan 1921

Editor: This woodcut, titled "Orkaan," was created in 1921 by Johannes Frederik Engelbert ten Klooster. The intense contrast really grabs me – it’s dramatic. The churning sea dominates the composition. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: This print speaks volumes about the artist’s reaction to the socio-political storms brewing in Europe at the time. Can you see how the violent waves and looming dark clouds might represent more than just a literal storm? Editor: So, the storm could be a metaphor? Maybe for the unrest after World War I? Curator: Precisely. Think about Expressionism as a movement. Artists sought to express inner emotions rather than represent external reality. The simplification of form and stark contrast amplifies the feeling of anxiety, but who is most at risk in times of turmoil, when the "Orkaan" rages? Editor: I guess those on the margins, people without power, or the working class. I didn’t notice at first, but the buildings in the background seem vulnerable and exposed. Curator: Exactly! Notice how ten Klooster uses geometric shapes to depict not only the waves but the jagged lightning and houses, thus making the scene appear even more destabilized. What message do you think he was hoping to convey to viewers? Editor: That nature, or rather societal forces, can be destructive and uncontrollable, and that those in positions of authority often don't see or even cause this destruction? Curator: It's definitely food for thought when considering art’s potential as social commentary. Hopefully it sparks some difficult but necessary dialogue about whose voices we elevate, and what perspectives get left out when depicting societal turbulence. Editor: It definitely will. Seeing art in this way makes me realize how blind I've been to the message and voices embedded within.