Egel 1934 - 1936

Leo Gestel made this drawing of a hedgehog with ink on paper, but when? I love the nervous energy in all those quick, dark lines, a zillion tiny marks, all huddled together, that somehow make up the form of a hedgehog. It’s like Gestel is trying to capture not just what the hedgehog looks like, but what it *feels* like: prickly, shy, and ready to roll up in a ball at any moment. You can feel him working, can’t you? I can almost see him bent over the paper, squinting at the little critter, trying to get it just right. It's like a conversation between the artist and the animal, each mark a response to the other. Doesn’t that make you want to grab a pen and join in? Gestel and other artists are in an ongoing conversation, sharing ideas and inspiring each other across time. The process of artmaking is embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings.