Bomen in glooiend landschap 1939 - 2009

Kees Stoop made this drawing of trees in a rolling landscape using graphite on paper. Stoop’s choice of humble materials, graphite and paper, speaks volumes. While these are traditional artist materials, here, their very simplicity becomes the focus. Look closely, and you’ll see how the artist coaxes an extraordinary range of textures from the graphite, from the smooth foreground to the densely worked thicket of trees. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the paper, building up the image through countless tiny strokes. There is a definite feeling of labor invested, a kind of meditative, repetitive process. In a world obsessed with flashy, attention-grabbing art, Stoop reminds us of the beauty and power of quiet observation and skilled execution. This work challenges us to appreciate the subtle skill involved in traditional art, in contrast to industrial production methods.