Briefkaart aan Anna Dorothea Dirks before 1914

This postcard was sent to Anna Dorothea Dirks in 1914 by Wally Moes; it’s a little tableau of personal communication, caught in a moment of transit. The marks are simple: handwriting in dark ink, the blocky green sans-serif of "BRIEFKAART", a stamp in the upper right corner. I think of the materiality of this gesture. The paper has aged, the ink has faded slightly, but the energy of the writing remains. It’s casual, personal, a little bit sloped, like the marks are leaning in toward the addressee. Look at the way ‘Bussum’ is underlined with a confident flourish! This piece connects to a wider theme in art history: the use of text as image, of script as a gesture. It makes me think of Cy Twombly’s scribbled paintings, but on a miniature scale. Like Twombly, Moes lets the energy of the hand speak. It’s a reminder that art is not just about the final product but about the act of making, the intention, and the connection it creates.