The Hands 1895

Editor: This is Edvard Munch's "The Hands" from 1895, a print made using ink and etching. It’s quite stark – mostly black ink – and evokes a really claustrophobic feeling with all those hands. What do you make of it? Curator: As a print, its method of production already implies a departure from the unique, authored art object towards something more reproducible and democratic. Consider the labour involved – the etching, the inking, each pull of the print contributing to its meaning. Are these hands, reaching towards the female figure, symbols of desire or exploitation? Perhaps they highlight the consumption of women’s bodies. Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about it in terms of labour and exploitation. I was more focused on the emotional impact of the image itself. Do you think the material qualities of the print influence that emotional response? Curator: Absolutely. The stark contrast between the black ink and the white paper heightens the drama and anxiety. The lines are somewhat crude and quickly rendered. But consider the artist’s role, here as a skilled laborer using his skills to produce… this! Not so skilled when rendered in this way! Does the mode of production cheapen the emotion or enhance its raw nature? The ability to reproduce this feeling repeatedly, through the printing process, speaks volumes about its pervasiveness in society. Editor: So you’re saying the materials and process of creating the print contribute to our understanding of the themes Munch is exploring. Curator: Precisely. It moves beyond a purely aesthetic interpretation and demands we consider the social and economic context of both the artwork’s creation and its consumption. Editor: That makes a lot of sense. It definitely gives me a new way to think about prints and their place in art history. Curator: Indeed. Thinking about the material conditions and labor inherent in art production always enriches the conversation.