A View in Flanders behind the Lines, Showing Locre and the Tops of Dug-Outs on the Scherpenber 1916

Editor: This is Muirhead Bone's "A View in Flanders behind the Lines," made with pen and wash. It's a stark landscape dotted with tents, and I'm struck by the repetitive nature of the forms. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Notice how Bone details the material conditions of wartime – the tents, the dugouts. These are mass-produced, functional objects. Bone elevates the ordinary. Consider the labor involved in their creation and the social context of wartime consumption. Editor: That gives me a new perspective. I was only thinking of the aesthetic value, and now I see the value in the process. Curator: Exactly. By focusing on the means of production, we challenge notions of what constitutes 'high art'. Editor: It makes you consider a different kind of value. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: My pleasure. It's important to think about how art intersects with daily life.