Omslagblad voor vignetten: Venus Vignet voor boek 'L'art Hollandais contemporain' van Paul Fierens 1932 - 1933

Leo Gestel made this cover sheet for vignettes for Paul Fierens' book 'L'art Hollandais contemporain' probably with pencil on paper, and it's all about process. The paper is creased and worn, with numbers and names scribbled on it, like a note to oneself. The marks on the paper are light and gestural. This isn't a finished drawing, it’s a notation. What interests me is how the artist takes the surface and abuses it, crumpling the page, and then using it as a foundation, like it is already a ready made drawing. Look how the artist uses the paper’s texture. The marks are ephemeral. It reminds me of Twombly’s sketches, where the act of drawing feels like a form of thinking, capturing fleeting thoughts. Both artists celebrate the provisional, suggesting that art is more about exploration than resolution.