Brief aan Ebeltje Hartkamp-Jonxis Possibly 2008

Curator: We’re now looking at "Brief aan Ebeltje Hartkamp-Jonxis," a piece thought to date from around 2008, by the artist Anna Metz. The work combines a variety of printmaking techniques, including drawing, lithography, etching, and the use of ink on paper. Editor: My first impression is…intimate. It feels like reading someone's personal correspondence. The handwritten font, while visually interesting, also gives the piece an immediately vulnerable, almost confessional quality. Curator: Indeed. The work, essentially a handwritten letter, speaks to the artist's process and thinking around a piece for a European Graphic Biennale, with the theme “Kant." What’s fascinating is the layered context—a letter about creating art based on philosophical concepts. This personal approach allows Metz to position Kant, possibly a man, among the ideas of motherly love in a letter addressed to Ebeltje. Editor: I'm curious about the emphasis on the handwritten. In an age of digital communication, the deliberate act of handwriting becomes inherently political. It's a statement, reclaiming a space for intimacy and the physical touch within a mass-produced art world. How does that affect its reception in galleries? Curator: It pushes us to consider how social interactions—correspondence between women—can affect institutional approaches and art making. Metz uses handwritten communication to disrupt our expectations for an art print that should feel more elevated, professional, or technically astounding. Editor: Also, the messiness and imperfections. Erased "imperfections". They speak to a broader societal pressure on women and femme artists to present a perfect final product when artmaking itself is imperfect. It gives the final piece an undercurrent of melancholy. Curator: This etching asks us to re-evaluate our expectations and recognize the potential for quiet yet forceful activism within an unassuming and thoughtful piece. It brings to light themes of both a domestic relationship and the importance of collaboration in producing art. Editor: Absolutely. This work acts as a reminder that even seemingly simple acts of creation and communication carry complex social and political weights. It’s not just a letter; it's a quiet manifesto.