Schild before 1942

Editor: So, here we have "Schild", a drawing in ink by Reijer Stolk, created sometime before 1942. What immediately grabs me is its almost totem-like quality and very tribal feel... What do you make of it? Curator: Schild… shield. Yes, I feel the primal hum. You know, sometimes a shape whispers secrets of ages past. The abstraction here, those geometric tremors – they’re like echoes. Do you see a story being told or a symbol being conjured? Perhaps it’s about the very act of defending something… innocence, identity? Editor: It could definitely be protection, it definitely seems to serve a purpose! It feels less decorative, maybe even spiritual. Curator: Spiritual, yes! Stolk uses the ink in such a bold way. Think about what ink meant at that time. It was intention. Purpose. Did you know artists sometimes believed the tool chose *them*, and not the other way around? Perhaps, this shield *asked* to be drawn. Almost demanded it. Editor: Wow. I've never really considered how the material guides the creative process like that. It really encourages me to slow down, look again and think about each material's inherent quality! Curator: Precisely! Let art take you on unexpected trips, make up stories. You see, even if its function seems self-explanatory, its deeper meaning depends on us and how open we are to its story! Isn't that delicious?