Notities en berekeningen c. 1928

Editor: This is "Notities en berekeningen," or "Notes and Calculations," a mixed-media drawing on paper by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, made around 1928. It has an intimate feel, like glimpsing into the artist's private thoughts. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: It's intriguing how we can perceive intimacy through something as seemingly mundane as notes and calculations, isn't it? Consider the period – the late 1920s, a time of great social and economic change, particularly in the wake of the First World War. What do you make of the act of private note-taking during that period? What does it signal about identity formation through a rapidly modernising world? Editor: I guess it feels like he’s trying to make sense of the world on a personal level, in the midst of larger changes. Curator: Exactly. And notice how the drawing includes geometric shapes mixed with the script? This blurring of lines is quite compelling. Can we read these notes simply as logistical, or do you feel they point to something more expressive, or even…confessional? Perhaps even an intentional attempt to disrupt artistic boundaries between personal, professional, political spheres? Editor: That's interesting! I was so focused on the personal aspect, I hadn't considered a deliberate crossing of boundaries. I learned a lot by considering the wider context, both social and artistic. Curator: And by recognizing how a seemingly private act, like note-taking, can have resonance far beyond the individual. These intimate pieces can offer invaluable insights into societal structures.