Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten Possibly 1937

Curator: This is "Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten," possibly from 1937, by Dick Ket. It's an ink drawing on paper, a personal letter rendered with meticulous hand-lettering. Editor: My first impression is one of intimacy. The cursive is almost like a secret code, demanding a close, slow reading. It feels incredibly personal, almost as if we are intruding on private thoughts. Curator: Indeed. Ket’s artistic process often blurred the lines between the everyday and high art. He elevated personal correspondence into a work of art, using the materiality of ink and paper and the act of writing as a performance. This was likely made in his personal sketchbook. Editor: You can feel his hand moving across the page. I love how the text becomes image, the script forming little landscapes of words. It dances between legibility and pure abstract form. It's the handwriting as art more so than the message within. Curator: We know that Ket struggled with health issues for most of his adult life. Analyzing this letter, you almost feel the constraint, the delicate precision perhaps reflecting his physical condition. The act of carefully forming each letter could be seen as a form of control and mediation over his physical limitations. It’s not just writing, it's a labor of sorts. Editor: That makes the imperfections all the more poignant – the smudges, the occasional slips. It infuses the work with such raw humanity. And even if we cannot completely decipher its meaning now, that imperfect text gains value, showing that Ket gave his spirit to the reader through his craftsmanship and dedication to his letter recipient. Curator: Ket seemed very conscious of presentation and labor; consider the economic and social value placed upon skill at the time. It prompts us to question how we define artistic labor today in a world saturated with digital communication. Editor: Seeing something so carefully, lovingly made really brings that question into sharp focus. It is hard not to pause and find appreciation for such detailed work. Curator: Absolutely, a reminder to slow down and really see, even in the simplest of materials. Editor: A fitting note to end on; it’s definitely given me something to ponder!