stehendes Kalb (Standing Calf) [p. 9] 

This sketch of a standing calf was made by Max Beckmann, and is made from graphite on lined paper. While these are conventional materials, what interests me is the paper itself. It is the kind of paper one might find in a school notebook; mass-produced, and cheap. We can only guess what other kinds of notations might have been on the page. Shopping lists? Phone numbers? Did Beckmann like to draw on this paper because it was portable, and readily accessible? Or might he be hinting at the relationship between rural economies, and consumerist ones? Whatever his intention, it is clear that the quick strokes, and the banality of the material serve to demystify art-making, and collapse the distinction between the ready-made, and the artwork. These choices are a deliberate move away from rarefied mediums, inviting the viewer to reflect on the everyday contexts in which art is made. Hopefully this encourages us to reflect on the labor, materials, and social issues embedded within the work.