Prentbriefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1909 - 1913

This postcard to Philip Zilcken was made in 1903, we can see that in the date here, with ink, and I find it so interesting how handwriting can be like drawing, and mark-making can be like writing. Here we can see the material reality of sending a message, a physical object travelling from one place to another. There’s the stamp, a little square of colour. The postmark, a smudgy circle of grey. The handwriting in faded blue ink, flowing across the card in a very personal way. Look at the way the ink bleeds slightly into the paper, making each letter a little fuzzy, imperfect. It reminds us that art is not just about ideas, it’s about the stuff it's made of, the tools we use, and the way we use them. For me, this is like the work of Cy Twombly, who was also interested in the relation between writing and drawing, and in the beauty of everyday marks. Ultimately, art is about embracing the messy, imperfect, and ambiguous nature of life.