The Bench 1882

Editor: This is Vincent van Gogh’s “The Bench,” a charcoal and pencil drawing from 1882. The use of such raw materials gives the impression of a very personal, almost lonely, scene in what appears to be a neglected garden. What do you make of it? Curator: From a materialist perspective, the choice of charcoal and pencil is telling. They’re readily available, inexpensive materials, indicative of Van Gogh's own financial struggles at the time, but also the accessibility of artmaking to the working class. He isn’t using oils and canvas – this speaks volumes about the social context of art production. Editor: That's an interesting point! So the *choice* of materials reflects social conditions. What about the subject matter itself, this image of public benches? Curator: Consider the park bench itself – mass produced, a public amenity made available to all. Van Gogh is portraying an everyday object, stripping away the artifice of traditional landscape painting. And notice the lines, they indicate signs of use. The very *doing* of the piece points at the labor that sustains communal life. How does the mark-making strike you? Editor: Well, it feels a bit hurried, almost frantic, in places, as if capturing a fleeting moment before it vanishes. Curator: Exactly! And it challenges any easy notion of virtuosity. It foregrounds process, the artist grappling with his medium. Van Gogh isn't trying to hide the evidence of the artmaking process. Also, this very work is an exercise. And exercises in drawing would turn to paintings using other processes that lead to works for profit in the art market. Editor: I see how focusing on the materials and method really opens up our understanding of the work in relation to the artist's situation and intentions! I’ll definitely look at art with more material awareness from now on. Curator: Yes, paying attention to the “how” of art reveals much about the social world that surrounds it.