Genesis III 

Editor: This is "Genesis III" by Charles S. Klabunde, made with etching, drawing, and printmaking techniques. It has an intriguing, surreal quality with the combination of figuration and abstraction, almost like a dream. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, looking at the materials, the artist's choice of etching points to a specific kind of labor, a process of careful scoring and immersion in acid. The repetitive, almost obsessive mark-making inherent in etching translates into a dedication to a process, transforming the blank metal surface through the concentrated application of physical work. The drawing component further highlights Klabunde's physical involvement, suggesting an emphasis on handmade elements in a world increasingly dominated by mass production. The collision of representational figures with more abstract, dreamlike forms hints at a tension between the conscious and the subconscious. Consider also that these elements are produced through laborious manufacture. Do you see the artist using this visual tension in the print as an element that invites this comparison, contrasting human labor with mass reproducibility? Editor: I think so, it almost elevates the artistic process over a finished object, if that makes sense? Seeing it as a physical, handmade artifact really changes my perspective. Curator: Exactly! Etching, a somewhat archaic printing method by contemporary standards, becomes more relevant if we understand it as a resistance to industrial uniformity. Klabunde highlights the unique character born from manual dexterity, a tangible link between artist and creation. It transforms this print into a unique assertion, an act of defiance against commodification. Editor: I see the process of creation adding an additional narrative layer about labor, time, and skill, and not just in the image itself! Thanks for sharing these insights! Curator: My pleasure. The exploration of materials and production is a rich avenue for understanding the values embedded within art.