Zelfportret: B-1-1, juni 1942 1942 - 1946

Editor: This is Cor van Teeseling’s self-portrait, B-1-1, made between 1942 and 1946, using pencil on paper. It's incredibly delicate. The lines are so faint. What strikes me is how ephemeral it feels, almost like a ghost. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the materiality itself, the starkness of the pencil against the paper. Consider the socio-economic context: wartime Netherlands. Materials were scarce, resources were diverted. What does it mean to create a "self-portrait" with such limited means? It speaks volumes about the artist’s persistence and ingenuity, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Definitely! It feels like he’s using what's available, almost like he's making art in secret or without the expectation that it would be displayed so prominently. The pencil strokes suggest both a simplicity and a focus. Curator: Precisely! And think about the labour involved. The artist’s hand, pressing the pencil, creating subtle variations in tone despite the scarcity. What sort of person persists with creating something during a time of limited possibility and likely great material stress? Doesn’t that change the nature of self-expression into a kind of act of cultural and personal preservation? Editor: I hadn’t considered that perspective. So, the apparent "unfinished" quality isn’t necessarily a lack of skill, but a statement in itself about available means, labor, and value. Curator: Exactly! The social context dictates the artistic outcome in compelling ways. The act of making, the material constraints, and the environment all intertwine to give the work a new kind of impact. Editor: I see this drawing with entirely new eyes now! Curator: Me too, our chat emphasized the profound connection between artistic creation and the circumstances from which it springs!