Overzicht (onvolledig) van brieven ontvangen van Odilon Redon in de periode 1898-1916 after 1898

Andries Bonger created this list of letters from Odilon Redon between 1898 and 1916, with ink on paper. It’s not exactly a traditional artwork, but I’m interested in what it tells us about artistic labor. Consider the hand that produced these careful lines, the repetitive, almost meditative act of recording dates. These are the kind of tasks that underpin much artistic activity, the essential but often unseen work that goes into maintaining a creative life. Think, too, about the paper itself, a mass-produced material, and the ink, an industrial product. The very act of writing and record-keeping is labor, a job that takes time and energy. By focusing on this list, we shift our attention from the finished artwork to the daily grind, the unsung activities that make art possible. It blurs the lines between art, work, and life, prompting us to consider the value of all forms of creative production, whether traditionally considered art or not.