Lint op karton, wit satijnlint met daarop een smal zwart fluwelen lint c. 1926

This artwork, made by Gustav Schnitzler, is a roll of white satin ribbon with a narrow black velvet ribbon on it, all on a cardboard core. The stark contrast of the black velvet against the white satin is really striking. It's simple, almost like a drawing. It reminds me of how a few well-placed lines can define a whole form. The texture of the satin, so smooth and slippery, against the fuzzy velvet is a joy. Look how the artist allows some disorder and asymmetry in the rolling of the ribbon. It gives the piece a kind of unexpected, casual, quality. The neat parallel lines at the top, in contrast to the disorder below, are like the difference between thought and feeling, or maybe intention and accident. This piece reminds me a little of Eva Hesse, whose use of industrial materials have a similar interest in minimalism and repetition. It’s a simple object, but it sets the mind racing.