Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1904 - 1909

This is a postcard to Philip Zilcken by Jan Zürcher. It's a very Dutch affair. The approach is so precise, almost like a blueprint, but it contains smudges and smears. The process of sending it feels like a very tangible thing. I like how the text sits formally on the surface. There's a clear awareness of the paper quality and the way the ink reacts with it. Look at the smudging around the edges of the stamp. It's not just about what the stamp represents, but how it physically interacts with the card. You can imagine the postal worker pressing it down, the ink spreading slightly with the pressure. It makes you think about the physical journey of the object through space and time. Zürcher reminds me a bit of On Kawara, in that they both use text and the postal system to record and communicate a moment in time. Art's not just about making something pretty; it's about engaging in a conversation across time. And sometimes, that conversation involves getting a little messy.