Aantekening uit archief Philip Zilcken c. 1867 - 1930

This note from the archive of Philip Zilcken is made from paper, with handwriting in pencil or ink. These are, of course, among the most elemental of materials: the substrate of knowledge, and the means of capturing thoughts. Consider paper itself: originally made laboriously by hand, one sheet at a time, then, over the course of the 19th century, increasingly produced by machines. Here, it's a humble scrap, lightly toned with age, which suggests a relatively low grade. The notations are quick and informal, reflecting a working process: the artist’s aide-memoire. Handwriting, similarly, is a technology gradually being displaced by type. Yet it retains an immediacy. You can feel the hand moving across the page, making lists and observations. This may not be a work of art in the conventional sense, but it vividly captures the intimate relationship between mind, hand, and material. It reminds us that all art begins with such basic interactions.