Untitled 1964

Curator: This is an untitled ink drawing by Isidore Isou, created in 1964. Its dimensions give it an intimate presence, inviting close inspection of its dense visual field. Editor: Wow, it’s a chaotic sort of beauty. It feels like I’m looking at someone’s mind, overflowing with thoughts and symbols—like an exploded codex. A kind of manic energy jumps right off the page. Curator: Indeed. We see prominent examples of Lettrism, a movement founded by Isou himself. Note the dominance of script and calligraphic gestures, pushing beyond traditional alphabets and semantic meaning. It's about pure visual language. Editor: Exactly! It’s like he’s inventing a new alphabet, a secret code. I see fragments of recognizable letters buried within abstract symbols. There’s a circular motif at the center packed with glyphs and notations. The overall composition seems very intentional. Curator: Precisely. The interplay between positive and negative space, the black ink against the white paper, establishes a compelling visual rhythm. The abstract expressionist elements give it a spontaneous, almost explosive feel, yet observe how the composition retains an underlying structural logic. Editor: It’s so dense; I keep finding new things. The layering of the script over and around that central circular form really creates depth. And the contrast between the fluid handwriting and those sharp geometric shapes is captivating. You can see hints of handwriting too scattered in the black void! I'm curious what triggered Isou. Curator: As a proponent of Lettrism, Isou explored the expressive potential of letters as pure form, aiming to dismantle conventional linguistic structures. This piece embodies that spirit of experimentation and visual poetry. He truly believed it would change how we express language. Editor: I can feel that energy. It's less about legibility and more about…vibration. This piece feels like a direct translation of thought into visible form, bypassing all the rules and regulations. Curator: So, what final thoughts resonate with you, after our exploration? Editor: It still reminds me of the freedom of unsconscious creation, an unleashing of language, unfiltered and raw, using line art. Isou captured that primal urge to communicate on a visual level, unconcerned with meaning or form. It invites you to feel more than to think. Curator: For me, it highlights the intrinsic beauty and communicative potential inherent in the elemental components of language. Isou elevated mere letters to objects of profound contemplation.