Werken op het land 1935 - 1938

Editor: So, this is "Werken op het land," made between 1935 and 1938. It looks like a series of gelatin silver prints displayed together, maybe from a photography album? I’m struck by the contrast between the scenes of labor, like the farming and fishing, and the built environment. What do you see in this piece, especially considering the different subjects captured? Curator: I'm drawn to the album format itself, its implications of domesticity and personal history colliding with representations of labor. Each photograph meticulously crafted as a gelatin silver print, transforming everyday labor into something valuable and worth documenting. These photographic prints challenge the traditional hierarchies within art by valorizing working class subject matters, right? Consider the labor involved not only in the scenes depicted, but also in the crafting and curation of this album. Editor: That's a good point. I was just thinking about the labor involved in silver gelatin printing – the darkroom, the chemicals… but the idea of *curating* these images, putting them together deliberately, is compelling. Do you think the artist was trying to make a statement about the value of labor through this presentation? Curator: Absolutely. These choices tell us a lot about cultural and economic values from this period. What processes are visible, celebrated, or omitted? Take note that this isn’t just folk art, but genre painting and cityscapes of the labor class, put into prints of value. What kind of audience do you think this album might have reached? How would those viewers have related to this sort of documentation? Editor: That's something I hadn't considered! Viewing the photos as an album gives us an indication of who consumed them and how. Thank you for shifting my perspective! Curator: Of course! By focusing on these tangible aspects – the gelatin silver, the album, the presentation of the manual labor – we can unravel the deeper layers of cultural values embedded within this seemingly simple compilation. I think I want to find more examples of printed and curated artwork!