IJs 1972

This is 'IJs' – Ice – by Rein Dool, made using pen and ink on paper. Just look at those lines! So much of what artmaking is about is the process. Dool’s hand has a freedom that I really appreciate. Dool’s process is all there on the surface for us to see. There are no erasures, no redos. The beauty is in the imperfect mark, right? This one is a simple line drawing. Black ink on a white surface. So much of the image is defined by the negative space, too. Check out the line around the adult’s head. It really gives the sense of a quick sketch. I think this helps to heighten the sense of anticipation in the image. You can feel the ice cream about to be devoured. Dool is considered to be part of the New Figuration movement, following artists like Asger Jorn. But ultimately art is art because there are so many ways to interpret it. We just keep the conversation moving.