Yasha 1975

Editor: Here we have Aat Verhoog's "Yasha," created in 1975. It’s an etching, predominantly black and white, showing a woman seated on a bench and a dog. The first thing that strikes me is the laboriousness implied in its creation. What are your thoughts when you consider this piece? Curator: Immediately, I think about the process itself. An etching demands time, pressure, a deliberate engagement with the material – the metal plate, the acid, the paper. It challenges the notion of art as instant inspiration and forces us to confront the artist’s labor. It’s not just about representing "Yasha," it's about the means by which that representation comes into being. What is suggested through the materiality of the mark? Editor: That's interesting. It highlights the value the artist puts on technique and process, making it seem less like a simple portrait. It appears Verhoog embraced traditional methods. Was printmaking having a moment during that time, to express certain subjects? Curator: Yes, and thinking of printmaking as a reproductive technology - making multiples, accessible art - we might see this within a wider context of challenging art's exclusivity and preciousness. What do you make of the difference between the solid white silhouettes and the areas of dense hatched lines? Editor: The contrast emphasizes the human and the animal as figures against a worked-over ground. It highlights how those foreground figures become objects of visual labor. Did Verhoog usually adopt this contrast in the context of other printmakers engaging figuration in this era? Curator: Examining the print alongside the broader socio-political and artistic moment emphasizes this choice. What appeared a fairly standard portrait becomes an artistic statement when read from a materialist view. Editor: Absolutely, thinking about the labor involved really transforms how I see this piece! Thanks! Curator: And it makes one consider labor practices and accessibility.