Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken

This postcard was made by Adriaan Pit in 1916, we can see the post mark. It’s addressed to Philip Zilcken and from Amsterdam, so maybe they were friends, colleagues, or who knows? The way Pit uses the space of the card reminds me that art is a process of layering and connecting. Look closely, and you can see how the ink sits on the surface, how Pit’s handwriting creates a kind of texture. There's a dance between the formal elements of the printed postcard—the stamp, the address lines—and the personal touch of Pit's message. The stamp and postal mark feel almost like collage elements, punctuating the flow of the text. That bold date, 1916, is like a keyhole into another time. Pit’s card reminds me of the work of Cy Twombly, who was also interested in handwriting and the way it can create meaning. Art is an ongoing conversation. It is all about embracing ambiguity and the multiple ways of seeing and experiencing the world.