Blank 1930 - 1936

Curator: Here we have "Blank" by Niels Larsen Stevns, dating from 1930 to 1936. It’s a drawing, it appears, on paper, likely with coloured pencil. Editor: Well, it’s certainly…blank. A pristine, unused surface. It speaks volumes about potential, about a point of origin before creation itself. Curator: Precisely. Think of all the meanings a blank page carries! It can signify fear, doubt, limitless possibility… What imagery does it evoke for you? Editor: I think of the physical properties: the texture of the paper, the smoothness, its potential resistance to the artist's chosen medium. Also the cost to acquire these papers in a block this size and preserve them in the conditions presented here, as a drawing. Curator: So you see this as a representation of the working conditions and accessibility, during the creative process? I'd imagine someone who came across a collection of Niels Larsen Stevns drawings in the SMK archives, for example, could perhaps understand how Niels worked across many artworks with consistent source of raw materials. It speaks to a different type of "cultural artifact". Editor: Absolutely. The blankness itself invites that question – why was this particular page left untouched? It might’ve been abandoned; Perhaps intended for a specific project that never materialized. These unfinished fragments can be revealing when piecing together the entire "supply chain". Curator: I see it as a meditative space, too. Consider the cultural moment in Denmark at the time—this simple void echoes larger questions about meaning. The absence speaks to a world in tumult, searching for something new to believe in. Editor: Maybe we’re projecting. But, as it’s “Blank”, and it allows for it, it holds endless reflection on where ideas begin, what drives their start, or the unfortunate lack of inspiration for some. Curator: True. Editor: And it reveals its materials for inspection! Curator: Thanks for revealing to me something new about that "Blank"!