Regenbui boven de rijstvelden bij Gitgit op Bali 1908

Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp made this etching, Regenbui boven de rijstvelden bij Gitgit op Bali, or, Rain Shower over the Rice Fields near Gitgit in Bali, the mark making here is almost scientific in its precision, building up a detailed landscape from tiny hatched marks. It makes me think about the way we build up a painting, one tiny adjustment at a time. Look at the upper right of the image where the rain is rendered with a flurry of long, thin vertical lines. These lines don't just represent the rain, they give the work a sense of atmospheric perspective. This creates a sort of textural contrast, the delicate rain, the densely worked fields. I see a dialogue between control and chaos in Nieuwenkamp's work. Nieuwenkamp reminds me of an artist like Emil Nolde, who was interested in capturing different environments in ink and watercolour, both sharing a fascination with exotic landscapes. Art is always a conversation, a constant push and pull of ideas, influences, and interpretations.