Studie c. 1916

Reijer Stolk made this study with some kind of crayon or pastel on paper. It’s so minimal! It’s just a few looping and vertical lines that linger on the surface. I can imagine Stolk making this in his studio and really empathize with the artist as he explores a visual idea. What might he have been thinking? Was he trying to achieve a feeling of lightness, a kind of fleeting gesture? The strokes feel tentative, like he’s not quite sure where he’s going with it, and I can relate to that feeling in my own practice. I love how the simplicity invites us to contemplate the essence of mark-making itself. It reminds me a little bit of Cy Twombly and the way he reduced painting to a kind of scribbled poetry. Ultimately, artists are in constant conversation across time, inspiring each other's creativity. Painting is like an exchange of ideas!