Gedachte in 't bos 1976

Harrie Gerritz made this graphic work, 'Gedachte in 't bos', with some kind of printing technique to make a lot of marks. There's a real sense of play with positive and negative space and a limited colour palette which really grabs me. The texture created by the layers of ink gives the trees a sort of ghostly presence, like they're fading in and out of focus. It reminds me of half-remembered dreams, or thoughts, as the title suggests. Look at the way the artist uses repeated shapes to create a rhythm, like a visual echo. Then, smack bang in the middle, are these three little green trees. It's like Gerritz is inviting us to get lost in the woods of our minds. This work has a similar feel to that of Agnes Martin, or maybe even some of the early minimalist sculptors, who were all about reducing form to its essence. It's a reminder that art doesn't always need to shout to be heard; sometimes, the quietest voices are the most powerful.