Two Sisters 

Editor: This intriguing print, titled "Two Sisters" by Valdemar Hansen Elenbaas, uses bold, geometric forms. The color palette is quite limited, dominated by shades of black, white and blue. It almost feels like a study in contrasts, stark and minimal. What stands out to you in terms of composition and form? Curator: The work presents a fascinating interplay between positive and negative space, does it not? Note how the figures are delineated primarily by solid blocks of color. This print showcases how the strategic absence of detail can be remarkably effective in conveying form. How do you perceive the function of the linework in suggesting form? Editor: The lines create a certain tension, disrupting the blocks of color, giving the impression that the figures and the scene are flattened, compressed onto one single surface. I am very interested by these sharp, angular shapes. I would even say the overall effect approaches abstraction. Curator: Precisely. Observe how the artist employs lines not to describe volume, but to dissect it. This dissection draws attention to the intrinsic flatness of the picture plane and is consistent with formalist artistic practice. Could you further elaborate on how the flatness of the medium interacts with our perception? Editor: That's really interesting. It shifts the emphasis away from representational accuracy, toward the fundamental visual elements. Focusing on how those elements are organized in a compositional and expressive way. It's like the artist is prompting us to consider not what we see, but how we see. Curator: Yes. The work demands a slower, more contemplative viewing. An approach focusing solely on the structural properties of the piece, the composition of geometric figures over representation of real things. A lens, of course, that reveals itself as equally incomplete than any other interpretive position! Editor: This really highlights the value of a focused approach for noticing nuances within a piece. Thank you!