Monogram GP 1874 - 1932

Mathieu Lauweriks made this ‘Monogram GP’, with ink on paper. I imagine Lauweriks making this design, maybe several iterations, going back and forth over it, adding, erasing, refining. There’s something very satisfying about the geometry, which then gives way to more organic forms. It’s like the central monogram is trying to break free of the grid. It looks like the black ink sits on top of the paper, yet the effect is delicate. Do you notice how the background flowers almost look like butterfly wings? It reminds me of the work of other early modernists, folks like Hilma af Klint or Agnes Martin, all searching for similar ways to distill and synthesize. This piece feels like a conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. I love to think of artists looking at one another’s work and riffing on it, passing on their inspiration, each piece a continuation.