Lint van lila gaas c. 1900 - 1915

This little object, a roll of lilac gauze ribbon, was made by Gustav Schnitzler, and is now in the Rijksmuseum. The making of art, or in this case, a simple roll of ribbon, is a thoughtful act. The maker pauses, considers the materials, and then proceeds. This ribbon, wound around a cylindrical form, is a study in simplicity. The texture of the gauze is evident, even from a distance. The lilac color, soft and muted, is surprisingly engaging. It's all about surface here, the physicality of the medium. You can almost feel the delicate weave, imagine the way light would filter through it. The way the ribbon is wrapped, slightly uneven and handmade, makes me think of Arte Povera, an artistic movement where artists use everyday materials to create work that embraces process and challenges conventional notions of beauty. Schnitzler’s ribbon reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. It’s a conversation that embraces ambiguity, valuing multiple interpretations over fixed meanings.