Genom fönstret 1961

Editor: We’re looking at Rune Jansson’s "Genom fönstret" from 1961, a drawing made with pencil and colored pencil. It’s remarkably minimal and seems to be playing with layering. What strikes me is the contrast between the defined horizontal yellow lines on the left, and the denser vertical green strokes on the right. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The artist's use of pencil and colored pencil isn't simply about depiction, but about process. Consider the labor involved in creating those meticulously placed lines. Does the repetition reflect factory work? How does Jansson elevate such repetitive mark-making to art? It also challenges the distinction between high art and "mere" craft. Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't thought about the work involved on that scale. Do you think the “Genom fönstret” title – meaning “through the window” – alludes to looking *out* onto this type of industrial landscape, or is it looking *in* on that world of making? Curator: Perhaps both. The title complicates our understanding. It suggests observation, but from a position of implied separation. What does it mean to view labor and material production "through" something? Is the "window" a class barrier, a physical distance, or a deliberate artistic filter? This perspective inherently carries a socioeconomic lens. Editor: So you see this not just as an abstract image but as a statement about the means of production and how we perceive them? Curator: Precisely! By focusing on the materials, the process, and even the implied act of looking "through," we can uncover the societal currents subtly embedded within the abstraction. It pushes us to consider the world beyond the frame, the world of material reality that gives rise to the art object. Editor: That definitely makes me look at it differently, appreciating the deliberate choices that reveal a bigger message. Thank you! Curator: And thank you; these types of observations really drive the way we can analyze process and labor to extract more layered meaning!