Notities c. 1930

This page of 'Notities' was created by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, and is currently held in the Rijksmuseum. The handwritten notes, scrawled in ink, at first appear like a chaotic jumble, but closer inspection reveals a structured composition. The artist deliberately uses the page's surface to organize his thoughts, setting out a series of textual signs. There are words and phrases like 'Saturday', 'Monday' and figures that likely represent quantities of money. The artist is engaging with language as a visual medium, turning the familiar act of note-taking into an expressive form of mark-making. The varying pressure and speed of the pen create a dynamic rhythm, transforming the text into a landscape of lines and forms. Consider how Cachet's embrace of personal expression destabilizes the conventional function of writing. This work challenges our understanding of the division between text and image, suggesting new ways of thinking about how we communicate and record information.