System with Figures 1959 - 1961

Anton Heyboer's ‘System with Figures’ came into being through the controlled accident that is etching, a dance between intention and chance. I imagine Heyboer hunched over the plate, acid fumes tickling his nose, as he scratches lines into the metal, each mark a thought, a connection, a question. Look at how the figures emerge from a network of lines and symbols. It’s almost like a map or a wiring diagram of the mind. The texture isn’t smooth, is it? It's rough, bitten by acid, mirroring the grit and complexity of existence. That dense crosshatching on the left feels like a knot of thought, anxiety maybe, or just the sheer effort of trying to make sense of it all. Heyboer’s work always reminds me of Paul Klee, that same childlike wonder mixed with profound philosophical inquiry. Artists like them are in conversation across time, and their exchange inspires creativity. ‘System with Figures’ feels like an embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and celebrating multiple interpretations.