Secret 1 

Editor: This is "Secret 1" by Małgorzata Serwatka, made with ink on paper. I’m immediately struck by the raw energy of the lines and the contrasting textures, the dark squares opposing chaotic hatching and figuration. What are your thoughts on its creation? Curator: I find myself considering the artist’s hand, the physical act of drawing, and how that relates to the concept of the "secret". Ink, such a fluid medium, laid down on paper - a material often mass-produced. Is the “secret” concealed within the very materials and labor used? What does the process of production itself reveal, and what does it deliberately obscure? Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn't considered. I was so focused on the abstract figures and shapes, attempting to decipher their symbolism. But what you're saying suggests the secret lies within the physical construction, not necessarily in any representational content. Curator: Exactly! Think about the repetitive mark-making, the pressure applied, the potential for mass production. Each line, a physical trace of labor, contributes to the artwork. Even the paper’s provenance plays a part, hinting at a consumer culture from which it originates. We might even interpret the title ironically: are "secrets" in a world driven by mass production really possible, or are they inevitably tied to the networks and economies they’re part of? Editor: That really opens up new avenues for interpretation. I always thought about art in terms of personal expression or social critique. Curator: And it is! But those expressions and critiques are always filtered through the materials at hand, and the socio-economic conditions that dictate access and means. The "secret", in a way, is a product of the drawing process itself, deeply embedded within these things. Editor: It’s fascinating to consider the interplay between the materials, labor, and the intended message. This reframes how I will see the work! Curator: I’m glad! Material considerations can add many insights.