Notities c. 1916

Reijer Stolk made this sketch, ‘Notities,’ sometime between 1896 and 1945, using graphite on paper. I love how the tentative, almost ghostly marks invite you into the artist's thinking process. It reminds me of my own studio –– notes and half-formed ideas all over the place. The surface is light, almost transparent, with layer upon layer of faint graphite lines. It's like Stolk is mapping out a thought, erasing and redrawing, searching for the right form. There’s one area, towards the top left, where the numbers and letters are darker and more defined, as if he was trying to pin down a specific idea amidst the flow of his thoughts. That particular spot is a window into the entire piece, a focal point in a sea of possibilities. Stolk’s approach makes me think of Agnes Martin, who also used delicate lines and subtle variations to create a sense of quiet contemplation. Both artists remind us that art isn't always about grand statements; sometimes, it's about the beauty of the process itself.