Tussenzetsel van kant met floraal motief op karton c. 1920

Here's a length of floral lace on cardboard by Gustav Schnitzler. It makes me think about repetition, the loops and flowers echoing each other, a gentle rhythm like a heartbeat. I can imagine the patient hands that made this, the careful attention to detail, the tiny stitches building up into a delicate whole. It's easy to imagine the artist repeating the same movement over and over, finding a kind of meditative space, a quiet hum of creativity. Thinking about process, Schnitzler probably had to figure out how to repeat a pattern accurately. It's kind of like screen printing in a way! But made with the most delicate movement. This piece is a reminder that art can be found in unexpected places. Something beautiful can emerge from the simplest of materials and processes. It also reminds me how one artisan informs another – different ways of making all influencing each other across time and place.