Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1912 - 1919

Here we have an old postcard, addressed to Mr. Philippe Zilcken in The Hague, Holland, penned with what looks like a fountain pen and some half-penny stamps. The marks here are about communication, but they also reveal the hand, the person, and the time it took to make it, to send it. I am fascinated by the slight variations in the ink's darkness, how it pools in some areas, lightens in others. This creates a texture that's almost sculptural. The way the address is written is interesting too – the hand of the writer, who they were, their intentions – it’s all there in the slant of the letters, the pressure of the pen. Look at the 'Z' in Zilcken, see how it loops and curls? That's a moment of flair, a little performance. It reminds me a bit of Cy Twombly, who also used handwriting as a form of drawing. Like Twombly, this anonymous writer transforms the mundane into something beautiful and expressive. It's a reminder that art is everywhere, even in the simple act of sending a letter.