Ex libris van Katalin Székely 1932

This bookplate for Katalin Székely, by an unknown artist, probably came into being through a careful and considered process of drawing, maybe etching. I can imagine the artist hovering over the plate, thinking about Katalin’s favourite books, trying to conjure up images that capture her imagination. It seems that the artist wanted to put Katalin *inside* her book, on some kind of surreal, magical adventure. What I love about this image is its open-endedness. It looks almost like a dreamscape, a world of infinite possibilities and stories waiting to be told. I love all the detail, all the crazy flourishes. The way one form becomes another. It's not a painting, but it reminds me of a lot of painting I love, like maybe Dorothea Tanning’s surrealist visions. We're all in a conversation with each other, right? It’s about bringing our own experiences, our own selves to the act of looking, and allowing the artwork to speak to us in its own unique way.