Een trom before 1839

Editor: This is “Een trom” – “A Drum” – made before 1839, and created by Gerrit Schouten. It appears to be ceramic or another form of fired clay, but also other materials like fabric. It has a somber, aged aesthetic. The textures create a weathered effect. What's your initial take on the piece? Curator: Intriguing. Let's begin with form. Observe the vertical thrust of the cylindrical base. Its simple geometry is disrupted by the horizontal band and crowning elements, fracturing the unity of line. How does that interplay strike you? Editor: I notice that. The cylinder feels very clean, like a pure form. Then, the wrap around the middle adds this rough contrast that complicates it. Curator: Precisely. The wrinkled texture of the band introduces complexity but its muted colour ensures it doesn’t dominate the colour palette of browns and beiges. A dialogue between simplicity and elaboration is initiated. The textures call attention to the work's physicality. Do you find a certain tactile appeal here? Editor: I do, actually! You can imagine the roughness, the crumbling edges, almost feel them. What about the arrangement on top - its geometry seems intentional. Curator: Indeed. Note the composition atop the cylinder. There appears to be wrapping or binding with angular fragments suggesting the shape of drum tacks. Consider also that this arrangement mirrors the horizontal band below but lacks any sort of reflective symmetry - contributing to the sculpture's structured discordance. Editor: I never would have noticed so much detail looking at this piece! Seeing all of the different textures, shapes, and the colors that play off of each other has been eye opening. Curator: A thorough semiotic deconstruction of its materiality has made me reconsider my appreciation for older works and what they can "say".