Schrijvend meisje in een kinderkamer 1917 - 1970

Adrie Vürtheim made this drawing of a girl writing in a children's room, and it's all in thin, delicate lines. It's so detailed, you can almost hear the scratching of the pen on the paper. I imagine Vürtheim starting with the girl, then building the room around her, each line carefully placed to create this little world. I can sympathize with the artist thinking about their own childhood. I notice the wallpaper and the picture on the wall and the other children playing. A gesture or a mark becomes a record of something felt and made visible; you might notice how some lines are darker or more assertive, while others are light and hesitant. This way of working reminds me of other artists who embrace a diaristic approach, like Tracey Emin or even Cy Twombly. Artists are always talking to each other across time, and each mark is part of that conversation, one that always allows for multiple ways of seeing and feeling.