China prentbriefkaart 'John Bull als Cyrano de Bergerac' c. 1900 - 1918

This is Alfaro Reijding's China print postcard, ‘John Bull als Cyrano de Bergerac’, in yellow and black ink. It's hard not to imagine the process of mark making, you know? I see the artist searching for a line and a form that could embody an idea. I wonder, did Reijding begin with the figures and then add the landscape? Or vice versa? I see, the marks seem to be groping, feeling their way around the surface, like when I try to decide where the leg goes on one of my figures. But beyond the landscape and the figures I see the dialogue Reijding is having with other artists, I see a caricatural style reminiscent of the bold expressionist brushstrokes that define much political art. The artist here is in conversation with a long history of image-makers. You can imagine them encouraging each other – 'Yeah, go for it! Make it weird!'. And in the end it's about sharing this creative energy, this messy, ambiguous exchange, and letting the meaning unfold.