Vignet met libellen 1874 - 1932

Mathieu Lauweriks created this dragonfly vignette, a small print, and what a powerful little creature! I imagine him thinking about how to capture the dragonfly's essence, it's aerodynamic quality, in just a few lines. The wings are these amazing brick-like shapes. So solid! And then these powerful, striped legs. How does an insect be so solid and so airy at the same time? The body is almost symmetrical, the lines sharp and very economical. Each line feels precise and considered. It reminds me of other artist who find inspiration in patterns and nature. Like Hilma af Klint. How nature is a starting point, a framework for exploring the world. Artists are always in conversation, riffing off of each other, across time and space. We never really know where an idea comes from. The point is to keep looking and responding.