Notities 1905 - 1906

Editor: This is "Notities," a drawing in ink on paper, made around 1905-1906 by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet. It seems to be a page from a sketchbook, filled with handwritten notes and numbers. The layout feels almost like a deliberate composition. What do you see in this piece, from a formal perspective? Curator: The initial aspect that strikes me is the interplay between order and disorder. Note how the script, while appearing casual, adheres to a vertical axis, suggesting a structured framework. Observe also the tonal variation achieved solely through line weight and density of the ink; these features manipulate the visual hierarchy. Do you see how this seemingly arbitrary arrangement achieves a balanced asymmetry? Editor: I do, especially in how the heavier script on the left is counterbalanced by the simpler, sparser marks to the right, but I’m curious – is the specific content important, or just the form? Curator: While we cannot disregard the semantic content, which presumably holds personal meaning for the artist, our focus resides in the tangible elements. The contrast in calligraphic styles—the hurried jottings against the more deliberate lettering—serves an aesthetic purpose. The page itself becomes a field of textual and numerical abstraction. Consider the relationship between the marks and the blank spaces; how the white of the page actively participates in the composition. Editor: So the value is not in *what* the writing says, but in how it contributes to the overall design and visual rhythm? Curator: Precisely. Lion Cachet manipulates writing itself as a visual element, transforming a commonplace notebook page into an object worthy of aesthetic contemplation, a proto-conceptual piece, if you will. Editor: I hadn’t considered it that way. Now, I can definitely see the design elements standing out more clearly! Curator: Indeed, and now hopefully a different perspective through which we may come to look at sketchbook art!