Gebladerte 1939 - 2009

Kees Stoop made this small drawing, “Gebladerte,” with graphite on paper. I imagine him outside somewhere, maybe, or inside looking out. It’s foliage, so it's all about layering, density, and looking. Stoop seems to have gotten into the thick of it. I can almost feel the scratch of the graphite, like branches on skin. The texture of the paper shows through, which is also important; it feels like a notebook page. I think about what it’s like to draw every little leaf, how each mark builds up the whole. There’s something so human about that, the patient, imperfect accumulation of marks. It reminds me of Guston's late work, or maybe even a bit of Twombly's scribbles. Artists, we’re all just talking to each other, right? Stealing ideas, riffing, responding, and just trying to get something down on paper.