Notities 1900 - 1903

Here is a page of notes, made with pen on paper by the Dutch artist Antoon Derkinderen. It's an intimate glimpse into the artist's mind. I imagine Derkinderen, pen in hand, letting his thoughts flow onto the page. Look at the cursive; it's almost like a dance across the surface. The ink pooling in places, light and airy in others. You get the sense that this wasn't about perfection, but about capturing something fleeting. I find it so sympathetic, this gesture of the hand, trying to grasp at ideas. I’m thinking of Cy Twombly, but maybe also, in its own way, Agnes Martin, in that the materiality of the medium is really important. The texture of the paper, the weight of the pen – it all contributes to the feeling. And the words themselves, a mix of Latin and Dutch, scientific names and place names, it’s like a little world being built on this page. It's a reminder that art is always in conversation. Each artist builds upon what came before, taking inspiration and pushing in new directions. And ultimately, it's about embracing the messiness of it all. The not-knowing, the uncertainty – that's where the magic happens.