Fotoalbum van Frank Willem van den Berg, 1925-1927 1921 - 1927

Frank Willem van den Berg made this photo album between 1925 and 1927. Looking at it, I imagine the young Frank carefully painting his name in silver on the cover, each letter a little wobbly, a bit unsure. I love the juxtaposition of the organic, hand-painted lettering with the more formal, decorative pattern running down the side. You can see the trace of the hand so clearly in the slightly uneven spacing and the delicate touch of the brush. It makes me think about all the different ways we try to fix and hold onto memories. The muted colors – the soft gray of the cover, the silvery white of the name, and the darker patterned line, give it a nostalgic, almost dreamlike quality. There’s a sense of intimacy and personal history embedded in this simple object, a container of stories waiting to be told. It reminds me that art can be found in the everyday, in the things we create to hold onto the past.