Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1923 - 1924

This Briefkaart was sent to Philip Zilcken by Alphonse Stengelin in 1927, a little message sent in the mail! Just look at that handwriting, all slanted and squished in together. It’s like the words are trying to tell a secret, or maybe they're just in a hurry. I know the feeling! When I am writing or painting fast I don't always take the time to be clear or neat. Look how the ink is thick in some places and thin in others, how the letters loop and swirl. You can see the hand moving, the arm reaching, the whole body involved in making those marks. I wonder what Stengelin was thinking when he wrote this, what kind of day he was having, what he wanted to say. Writing and painting is a kind of conversation with yourself, with the materials, with the world. Artists share ideas and styles through time, like one long exchange of letters and images. I love to think about all the different ways of making marks and telling stories, and how they all connect.