Blank 1864 - 1941

Editor: This intriguing piece, "Blank," is attributed to Niels Larsen Stevns and thought to have been made sometime between 1864 and 1941. It appears to be a drawing on paper, possibly using colored pencils. What strikes me most is its apparent emptiness, but at the same time, I am intrigued by it as an artifact. What can you make of such a work, if anything? Curator: Well, the seeming "emptiness" is, perhaps, its most potent quality. Consider the socio-political landscape while Stevns was producing art, that epoch faced rapid industrialization, world war, vast ideological shifts - any or all of these things might render blankness not an absence, but a powerful, conscious decision. The art world was also experiencing significant institutional change, with movements forming, dissolving, reforming… do you think an image like this is then making a claim on behalf of art? Editor: Hmmm, I think the art world can often get caught up in… itself, in the ebbs and flows of popularity. A “blank page,” might represent the infinite possibilities available within that cultural context you are highlighting. But doesn’t all art, on some level, engage with its surrounding social and political climate? Curator: Absolutely, but here the very lack of overt subject matter throws that engagement into sharper relief. It's like a mirror reflecting the anxieties and potential of a specific moment. Think of museums—they decide what's worth preserving and displaying, giving authority. This work invites you, challenges you, to find art, significance, purpose… to determine whether an “artist’s hand” is necessary to find beauty or social commentary in the world. In viewing art as a social endeavor, we have the power to see meaning even where others deem ‘nothing’ is. What is your take on all of this? Editor: That does resonate with me, the notion that the art object may also be defined by its exhibition history! Thanks, I never thought about the implications of “blankness” in such rich ways before. Curator: Precisely! And seeing it together in a dialog such as this might spur a different sense of artistic intent for other folks viewing such work too!