Girl Yawning 1913

Editor: We’re looking at Edvard Munch's "Girl Yawning," created in 1913, using oil paint. It feels raw, unfinished almost, and the application of the paint itself is very apparent. What's your take on it? Curator: I'm struck by the materiality. Notice the viscosity of the paint, how Munch hasn't concealed the labor. This challenges the bourgeois ideal of effortless beauty. He isn't trying to hide the act of production; instead, he showcases the crude and messy process of making an image. Consider how this might reflect the burgeoning industrial landscape and its effect on labor. Editor: So, it's not just about the girl yawning, but about the act of creating the painting? Curator: Precisely! Look at how the stretcher bars impact the support. The tension and physicality, it’s all part of the objecthood of art coming to the fore. And the limited palette, leaning heavily on reds and fleshy tones—do you think that restricts the viewer? Or does it invite a deeper reading? Editor: I suppose the restricted palette might focus attention on the subject's pose and expression… her fatigue and vulnerability? Curator: And perhaps the viewer becomes complicit in the subjectification. Munch uses artifice in material and production value, revealing vulnerability and asking for the complicity you point to, which has bearing on its marketability. Editor: This focus on materials gives me a whole new way of looking at it! I used to think of Expressionism more in terms of emotions but connecting it to labor and the market...fascinating. Curator: Yes, understanding the materiality allows us to see how Munch positioned himself within a rapidly changing art world, blurring boundaries between fine art and industrial production.