Curatorial notes
This is a letter from 1926 by Rose Imel, written in blue ink on lined paper, likely with a fountain pen. The paper provides structure, but the handwriting strains against this, creating a dynamic tension. Look at the loops in the cursive; they're generous and full, like the painterly strokes of an abstract expressionist. There's a dance between control and release, order and chaos, like a tightrope walker. It’s all about process, right? The pressure of the pen, the absorption of the ink. The letter, though on a small scale, reminds me of Cy Twombly’s blackboard paintings; the looping lines and barely legible text. Both Imel and Twombly transform language into abstract form, inviting us to feel the rhythm and energy of their mark-making, and understand art as an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time.
