Artikel aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1907 - 1917

This advertisement, titled "Artikel aan Philip Zilcken", is an anonymous piece, full of closely packed, hard-working text. It looks like it was made for print. There's something about the textures and the way the information is layered, that makes me think about the whole history of mark making. You can see so much information packed in, with various adds that are all competing with each other, clamoring for attention. Each letter, each word, is made up of tiny decisions about placement and pressure. It’s like a whole world condensed onto a single sheet. And just like in a painting, it’s the accumulation of these tiny marks that builds up the whole, and gives it its distinctive character. Looking at this piece, I’m reminded of the work of someone like Kurt Schwitters, who took a similar approach, using found materials and layering them to create something new. It’s a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places.