Postzegel Republik Indonesia 1949

This is a collection of Indonesian stamps, printed in Vienna by Staatsdruckerei Wien. The colours are muted – pastel greens, oranges, blues and pinks – and the printing is quite rough, almost like a woodcut, which gives them a folksy, handcrafted feel. Looking closely, you can see how the images aren't perfectly aligned, which is really lovely. It's like a reminder that art is made by people, not machines, and that the process is just as important as the final product. Even with these tiny reproductions we can feel the individual hand creating something that is so evocative of a place and time. The airplane in the bottom right reminds me of Edward Ruscha, whose work shares a similar interest in graphic design and commercial imagery. But where Ruscha's work is slick and polished, these stamps are raw and unrefined. Ultimately, these stamps are a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places, and that even the most humble objects can be imbued with beauty and meaning.