Afgebroken stelen c. 1944 - 1990

Curator: Here we have Kees Stoop’s etching, "Afgebroken stelen," created sometime between 1944 and 1990. The title translates to "Broken Stems." What are your initial thoughts? Editor: It strikes me as incredibly dense, almost claustrophobic. The texture created by the etching is so detailed, filling nearly every space. There's something both fascinating and unsettling about it. Curator: Exactly. It's important to remember the time period; this piece emerged from a landscape scarred by World War II. I think these "broken stems" can be viewed metaphorically, representing a shattered society attempting to rebuild. Stoop, I believe, presents the landscape as a witness. Editor: I see your point. Focusing on the process, the etching itself allows for a reproduction, making this visual commentary potentially more accessible. It’s interesting how this medium allows him to repeatedly deploy his social critique, not limited by a single viewing. The material of the print, too, makes me consider class. Curator: Absolutely. And, by using plants and natural forms, there's a potent connection to the land, the labor tied to it, and perhaps even to resilience and rebirth. Editor: Looking at the stems more closely, you can almost feel the process of breakage. Is Stoop implicating industry or war as the disruptive force? How are traditional landscapes now marked by industrial and political processes? Curator: That reading definitely resonates. It provokes questions about the sustainability of societal "growth" when it disregards its foundation – both literally and figuratively. Stoop perhaps encourages the viewer to question notions of progress at all costs. Editor: Yes, there is something profoundly sobering in the detail and method employed, using labor intensive means to reveal to the viewer both what we see and do to nature as a whole. Curator: For me, it speaks to how art, even in seemingly simple form, becomes a powerful act of remembrance and critique. It reminds us to remain conscious of the interplay between history, environment, and humanity. Editor: Precisely. "Afgebroken stelen" serves as a potent reminder of the cost of societal trauma, expressed poignantly by the meticulous craft.