Vajda Lajos Szentendrei Házak Csonka Toronnyal 1936 1936

Vajda Lajos made this drawing of houses in Szentendre in 1936, probably with ink on paper. The lines are so deliberate, aren't they? Almost childlike in their simplicity, yet they build such an intricate world. The way Lajos repeats the basic shapes of the houses, the rectangles and triangles, it's like he’s building with LEGOs. I find myself tracing them with my eyes, making a kind of dance across the surface. And look at the tower, how it looms over the houses, but it's also off-kilter, a little wonky. It’s like the tower is about to fall over. Each mark adds to the overall feeling. It's so minimal, yet it feels like so much is going on in that small area of the drawing. It reminds me of some of Paul Klee's architectural drawings, where line becomes a kind of map, both real and imagined. Art isn't about answers, it's about the questions we ask along the way.