When Radar was New 1971

Guy de Cointet made this drawing called ‘When Radar was New’ on a sheet of paper, writing with what looks like black ink. The looping script really stands out; it's like each word is trying to be its own little sculpture. Up close, you can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the page, deciding how much pressure to apply, each letter kind of dancing on the paper. Look at the word ‘dominant’ – the way the letters stretch and squeeze together creates a rhythm that’s almost musical. The ink is a deep, solid black that really pops against the off-white of the paper, making you focus on the shapes and spaces between the letters. This piece reminds me a little bit of the work of Jess Collins, who also played around with language and visual form. It makes you wonder: Is it a message? Is it a code? It's like de Cointet is inviting us to play along, to find our own meaning in his beautiful, strange writing.