Blad 96 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel I (1921-1929) Possibly 1929

This page from a register of students, probably made with ink and paper in The Hague sometime between 1921-1929, fascinates me because it’s all about mark-making. Each entry is different – handwriting, photographs, little annotations – it makes you wonder about all these different women, their lives, their experiences. I'm really drawn to the handwriting. Each signature, each name, each little comment has its own individual character. You can almost feel the hand moving across the page, pressing down harder in some places, lighter in others. The way the ink pools and fades, like whispers across time. And then there are the photographs, tiny windows into these women's lives. The starkness of the black and white against the faded sepia of the page creates such a sense of mystery. It's about so much more than just information, it feels like a conversation, a kind of dance between the hand and the page. It reminds me of the work of Agnes Martin. Both share a quietness, a humility, and a deep respect for the materials.