Blad 4 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel I (1921-1929) Possibly 1921 - 1929

This page is from a ledger made around the 1920s by an anonymous maker, from the Colonial School for Girls and Women in the Hague. Just look at the density of this page! The different handwriting styles, the way the information is crammed into a small space. It is so matter-of-fact, so precise, almost like the way we think about data today. In the third entry, there’s even a photograph tucked in, but this has no visual hierarchy over the handwritten notes. I’m reminded of On Kawara’s date paintings, where he obsessively documents each day. The surface of the paper is stained with age, but you can still make out the ruled lines that separate the columns. It’s a beautifully simple grid, but it’s also a reminder of the constraints placed upon these women, the way their lives were organized and categorized. Art is all about conversations across time, and this ledger opens up so many avenues for speculation and interpretation. It's a reminder that art doesn't need to shout, it can whisper too.