Sparappels 1887 - 1932

Curator: Okay, so here we have Jo van Oosten Slingeland’s “Sparappels,” probably created sometime between 1887 and 1932. It's an etching, a print—an array of techniques including engraving, graphite and, interestingly, I see something almost like a woodcut effect in it. What leaps out at you? Editor: Intriguing... Immediately, I'm struck by this deep sense of verticality, like a dark curtain. It feels somber, almost oppressive, yet there's also a rigid structure holding it all in place. Are we meant to feel trapped, or are these geometric, almost tessellated cones pointing us towards some sort of, uh, structured escape? Curator: It's interesting you say oppressive because the density of the etching does give it this almost claustrophobic feeling. Van Oosten Slingeland often uses dense and incredibly worked detail, which might be speaking to an internal conflict, perhaps. Are the sharp lines suggesting emotional barriers? Editor: Absolutely! It makes me think about the rigid expectations and societal confines women, especially, faced at the turn of the century. Look at the texture—like overlapping scales. Do they represent layers of societal expectations? Are they literally trying to shed? Are they defensive layers meant to protect from constant oppression? Curator: Possibly. Or maybe these cones are like vessels—what could be hidden inside them? What is he protecting here? There's an intimate detail, which, if you notice, these cones look as if they're ever so slightly "leaking." Could this speak to loss or potential loss? What do you make of the droplets hanging from their tips? Editor: Those almost look like inverted, blurry copies. Very good observation! These little hanging shapes feel so loaded. They could symbolize vulnerability, the slow erosion of self. Is the artist showing us the ways internal and external pressures impact identity, the silent battles waged? Are they teardrops? It is devastating, yet…still contained. Curator: You know, I'm not so sure this work speaks to one specific kind of loss or oppression, I feel there's something deeply universal. Van Oosten Slingeland uses these beautiful stark materials to highlight our experiences. What a great commentary on external pressure. Editor: Absolutely. Regardless of one’s experience with oppression, this work seems like an introspective landscape onto how to deal with constraint.