Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten Possibly 1938 - 1939

Dick Ket wrote this "Brief aan Mien Cambier van Nooten" at an unknown date using ink on paper. It's a flurry of cursive, almost indecipherable but full of energy, like a Jackson Pollock but with words instead of paint. I can almost feel Ket hunched over the paper, his hand racing to keep up with his thoughts. Was he agitated, inspired, or just plain bored? Maybe all three at once! I imagine him scratching out words, starting over, letting the ink bleed into the page, a tangible record of his creative process. The overall tonality is dark; the handwritten forms are tightly packed, creating a dense visual texture. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scrawls, but with a more intimate, diaristic feel. You get the sense that Ket is talking to himself, working through something personal and urgent. It’s kind of amazing how artists, through marks and gestures, are constantly echoing and responding to each other across time. I get the feeling Ket would have liked that idea.