Zeilbootjes aan de kade 1925 - 1927

Leo Gestel made this drawing of sailboats with graphite on paper. He's working out some kind of cubic structure, a simplification of forms in the boats and the water. Gestel doesn't disguise the process. The marks feel immediate and searching. You can see how he's building up the image, line by line. The graphite creates a range of textures, from smooth, blended areas to rough, scribbled lines. Look at the way he uses short, horizontal strokes to describe the surface of the water. It’s like he's mapping out the light as much as the form. There is a tension between representation and abstraction; Gestel doesn't try to create a perfect illusion. It feels as if he wants to capture the feeling of being there, of seeing those boats in that light. Artists like Lyonel Feininger who were exploring similar ideas of abstraction and simplification, come to mind. It’s about embracing ambiguity, letting the drawing be a record of the artist’s thinking and seeing.