Wiskundig model 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing, Wiskundig model, with graphite on paper, and honestly, it feels like peeking into someone's thought process. The lines are tentative, full of corrections, like the artist is feeling his way through a problem. I love the materiality of this piece, even though it’s just a humble graphite on paper. The smudges, the different pressures of the pencil – it's like a seismograph of Stolk’s mind at work. Look at the way he’s sectioned the circle, how the lines aren’t perfect, but slightly wobbly. It's a human touch that brings the whole thing to life. That imperfect line says so much about the act of creation, the constant adjusting and refining. This reminds me of Sol LeWitt’s wall drawings, where the idea is paramount, but the execution is left to others, embracing the imperfections and variations that come with human hands. It tells me that art doesn't always have to be polished or finished to be profound.