Brief 1924

This leaflet was printed in the Hague in 1924 by the Verbond van Actualisten, announcing a change of secretary. What strikes me is the straightforwardness of the document, yet its also got these amazing signatures scrawled on it. I love how the signatures are a material record of the signees, in a way that printed type cannot be. The contrast in tone between the formal, printed announcement and the hand written signatures is lovely, as if the physical gestures of the authors are declaring themselves as real and human despite the formal tone of the announcement. Look at the signature on the left, how it loops back on itself! It’s a beautiful little drawing, really, a concentrated moment of performance turned into a kind of personal logo. It reminds me of work by artists like Jean Dubuffet, who was also interested in the power of raw, unfiltered marks. Like Dubuffet, this simple document transforms the mundane into something powerfully expressive. It embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations, reminding us that art and life are ongoing conversations.