De mislukte vischvangst 1894 - 1959

This is Lamouche's ‘De mislukte vischvangst’ – or ‘The Unsuccessful Fishing Trip’ – a comic strip of sorts, made, I guess, without any fish. Look at the lines Lamouche makes – they bounce off the page, full of play! The artist uses a limited palette of ochre, black, blues and reds, which feel almost like stencils, layering the colours to create depth and texture. Each of the nine panels is a little vignette where the artist shows us cause and effect. In one scene, the central figure tumbles over a fence and ends up with a cabbage on his bum – ouch! I wonder if Lamouche felt like they were tumbling over a fence themselves when they made this? Maybe they started in one place and ended up somewhere completely unexpected. It reminds me that the best art often comes from embracing the unexpected, from allowing yourself to make mistakes and learn from them. Maybe that's what Lamouche is telling us. In that spirit, I’m off to tumble over a few fences myself, metaphorically speaking of course.