Landscape II 

Rik Wouters made this sketch, Landscape II, with ink on paper. It's a simple and direct method – ink is among the oldest drawing materials, and paper became widely available in Europe around the 14th century. The appearance of this landscape depends greatly on the fluidity of the ink, allowing the artist to create bold outlines and quick hatching. Wouters likely made this sketch on site, so the portability of the materials was key. The marks on the page also suggest a swiftness of hand, and the drawing comes across like a snapshot of a particular view. This work shows how a seemingly simple choice of materials – paper and ink – allows for immediacy and expression, qualities we often associate with both craft and art. Though modest in scale and material, this work shows how we might rethink categories of labor and value.