Geaderd stijfselverfpapier in bruin 1900 - 1993

This brown stijfselverfpapier or 'starch paint paper' was made by P. Schokker. It's a wild little thing, all mottled and flecked. What grabs me is the texture, it looks like the kind of thing you might absentmindedly doodle on while on the phone. There's something really intimate about this kind of process-based work; it gives us a look into the artist’s most free and off-guard moments. It’s not about a grand statement, but about the quiet accumulation of marks. The brown color palette keeps it grounded, earthy, and I think the density of the marks rewards close looking, encouraging the viewer to slow down. I think of Agnes Martin when I look at this work, in the sense that it is easy to pass by, but rewarding to spend time with. Like Martin, it makes us question our understanding of what a painting can be.