Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1918

This postcard to Philip Zilcken was written in Brussels in 1918 by Hélène van Goethem. The marks are laid down using ink in a calligraphic style, with much attention paid to the relationships between line weights and flourishes. I enjoy this kind of work because it doesn't hide its process. The paper is a warm buff color, you can see the evidence of age in its darkening. The ink is a similar tone, brown and sepia, and the stamp is applied in red. Look at the address, notice the looping ascenders and descenders of the letters and the way the lines of text sit on top of one another, compressing the composition and creating a dense, all-over pattern. This accumulation mirrors the way our memories build up over time, layering and overlapping, obscuring some parts while highlighting others. The work of Cy Twombly comes to mind when I see this. He would make marks and gestures that were equally as personal and evocative. For me, this postcard is a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places. It embraces the beauty of chance and celebrates the ongoing conversation between artists across time.