Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1913 - 1919

This vintage postcard by Barend van den Kieboom is a slice of graphic design, history, and personal correspondence all rolled into one. It's a mix of typography and image, black ink and soft white ground, and the mechanical and the handmade, all coming together as a kind of accidental collage. I love how the stamps and seals create their own accidental composition. The stamp featuring the figure in the dress, surrounded by flowers – it's so dense and graphic, like a woodcut. The way the text and handwriting layer over each other suggests a kind of palimpsest. It gives the impression of something made over time. Looking at the relationship between the crispness of the printed elements and the flowing quality of the handwritten address, I'm reminded of the way information can travel through time and space, carried by the humblest of objects. It’s like a little message in a bottle! I think of Kurt Schwitters and his collages, and his use of found materials. This postcard is a beautiful reminder that art is always in conversation with the world around it, embracing chance and improvisation.