13143 (_Veronica …_) 1931

Editor: Here we have John Elsas's 1931 piece, "13143 (_Veronica...)". It seems to be a collage drawing using paper and ink. The figures are so striking; what elements of this work grab your attention? Curator: I’m particularly drawn to Elsas's use of collage. Look closely; we're not just seeing shapes but carefully chosen, pre-existing papers. Consider the source of those papers - perhaps discarded scraps from commercial printing or domestic life? Elsas, an artist active in the 1930s, elevates these humble materials, asking us to reconsider the hierarchies of artistic value. It’s Expressionist in style but utilizes found material as commentary. How does that choice affect your viewing experience? Editor: It definitely makes me think about resourcefulness, like he was working with what was available and turning something ordinary into art. The contrast between the delicate handwriting and the almost cartoonish figures is also fascinating. Curator: Precisely. The act of collaging – tearing, pasting, and layering – becomes integral to the meaning. It resists traditional notions of artistic skill by foregrounding material manipulation and selection. The act of making reveals more than the final image itself. Consider too, the inscription – how does the text itself function as material within the work? Editor: It feels like another layer, both visually and conceptually. It shifts from pure image to a commentary. The raw, handmade feel contrasted with what was potentially printed paper makes the statement of the work even stronger, as though repurposing existing production methods. Curator: I agree. It is by looking at these elements, the social life of the medium, that we fully appreciate Elsas’s clever subversion and innovative approach to art making. Editor: That perspective really transforms how I see it. Focusing on the process and materiality unveils so much more!