Ontwerp voor een lepel en een vork c. 1874 - 1932

Mathieu Lauweriks made this drawing of a spoon and a fork with pencil on paper, and the grid showing through gives the impression he knew exactly what he wanted. I can imagine him sitting at his desk, carefully measuring and drawing each line. Look how precise everything is! You know, painting is a constant process of addition and subtraction. You put down a mark, then you take it away, then you add another one. But what would it be like to make something perfect from the start? The repetition of lines and shapes creates a sense of harmony and balance. It reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin’s grids, but with a utilitarian twist. I wonder if Lauweriks ever imagined his designs being mass-produced, ending up in kitchens all over the world? It’s fascinating how artists can take something as mundane as a spoon and fork and transform it into a thing of beauty.