Krab c. 1916

Reijer Stolk made this work, Krab, with pencil on paper. Look at the top left corner, the marks are light and feathery, like the thought that something could be there, but you're not quite sure yet. And below, the crab itself, encircled—as though captured or protected—in an outline. I think that initial act of drawing is like feeling your way through a dark room, hoping to stumble across something recognizable. I wonder what Stolk was thinking about? He was making a quick sketch. Was it like, can I capture this creature's essence? The drawing feels honest, without pretense. It reminds me of a Cy Twombly scribble—almost nothing, but saying something about the world. There's a conversation happening, where each artist is inspired by those who came before.