Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1913 - 1917

This briefkaart, or postcard, addressed to Philip Zilcken, probably in the early part of the 20th century, looks like it's been handled and traveled, loved even. I'm sort of obsessed with the idea of the artist making this, just starting with a blank surface, and I bet Stengelin was thinking about the relationship between language and seeing, or communication. The ink sits right on the surface, doesn't sink in. There's a kind of directness, you know? I wonder if Stengelin admired other artists that played with words like Cy Twombly? This piece, even though just a functional object, feels like part of that conversation across time. Seeing this makes me think about how paintings, even postcards, can be a way of talking to each other, and also to ourselves. How do we interpret the marks and directions of others?