Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 28 c. 1897 - 1910

Willem Witsen made this print, Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 28, which translates as 'rubbing of the chalk drawing on page 28', and looking at it I immediately imagine him working, with a chalk drawing on one page and then the faint transferred version on the opposite page. I love that Witsen is playing with different ways of seeing: the original and its echo. The 'Abklatsch' is a kind of a ghost image. The chalk must have been thick and velvety to create such a pronounced transfer. Perhaps he pressed down hard to get it so clear. It reminds me that artists are always looking for new ways to see the world, for new techniques to express and play with line and texture. Like all artists, Witsen was in conversation with others through time, absorbing influences and adding his own voice to the mix. His experimentation inspires my own practice, constantly prompting me to play, fail, and try again.