Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1913 - 1922

This Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken was made by N.J. Singels, we don't know exactly when or with what, but I'm going to guess a pen! It's all about process in this piece – the process of communication, of physically sending a message. The materiality is so present, you can almost feel the texture of the paper and the ink. The stamps, the postmarks, the handwritten address – each mark tells a story of its own journey, both physically and conceptually. The smudged ink and faded lines are so beautiful. It’s like looking at a map of someone’s thoughts. This card reminds me of the work of Cy Twombly, who was also interested in the poetics of writing and mark-making. I love the way that art can embrace ambiguity and multiple interpretations. There's a sense of open-endedness that invites the viewer to participate in the creative process.