Zeven boomstammen met takken zonder blad 1939 - 2009

Kees Stoop made this drawing called 'Seven Tree Trunks with Branches Without Leaves' with pen and ink. Look at the mass of tangled lines that form the trees: the process of applying layer upon layer must have been so delicate and repetitive. I'm trying to imagine the artist in the act of making this drawing. I can almost feel Stoop's hand moving across the paper, each stroke building up the forest. He must have been so patient, so focused on the act of looking and translating what he saw into these tiny marks. The lines are so dense, yet they create a sense of air and light filtering through the branches. The contrast between the white paper and the dark ink gives the image a stark, graphic quality. You can really see an artist finding their way, figuring out how to represent the world around them. It reminds me how artists are always in conversation with each other, learning from the past and pushing into the future. Art isn't about having all the answers, but about asking questions and exploring new possibilities.