Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten Possibly 1939

This letter to Mien Cambier van Nooten was written by Dick Ket, and it’s just the sort of thing I love to look at. It’s all about process, this outpouring of thought rendered visible through a kind of urgent scrawl. The surface is totally consumed by the energy of Ket’s handwriting, that's for sure. The ink, now aged and faded, bleeds slightly into the paper, creating a soft, diffused texture. Look at the way he loops and swirls his letters, as if each word is a little dance. I like the "Beste Mien" up top, but my favorite flourish is the signature, swooping with authority in the upper right corner. It’s so fluid and expressive, you can almost feel the motion of his hand as he writes. The whole thing is raw, unfiltered, honest. Ket's letters remind me of Cy Twombly’s scribbled paintings – both artists turning language into pure form. Both artists see the beauty in a kind of organized chaos, a willingness to let go of control. Ultimately, it's about embracing the messiness of life, of language, of art itself.