Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1915

This is a postcard addressed to Philip Zilcken by Charles van Wijk. The card is dominated by script, which weaves across the surface. Notice the sender's address in the lower left, countered by the postage stamp in the upper right, together creating a diagonal axis. Van Wijk's script exemplifies a careful negotiation between form and function. The controlled loops and lines suggest both a personal touch and a structured layout, typical of postal communication. The postal stamp and postmark introduce additional layers of geometric forms. They assert the card's transit through a bureaucratic system of lines and circles, which contrast with the cursive script. Consider how this interplay of personal and bureaucratic elements mirrors broader cultural structures. The postcard serves as a coded message, its format and markings communicating not just a message but also participation in a wider network of social and administrative systems. This everyday object becomes a site where individual expression meets structural organization.