Blank 1864 - 1941

Here’s an image of a book, maybe from around the late 19th century, by Niels Larsen Stevns, over here at the SMK. There’s something about the blank page that’s so full of potential. Like a painter's canvas, it is there waiting, inviting words, ideas, and visions to take form. It’s aged, stained, and slightly discolored. It’s almost like a minimalist painting in itself. I wonder what Stevns was thinking when he chose to photograph these blank pages? Was he contemplating the nature of beginnings? What does it mean to start something new? Or was he thinking about the weight of tradition, the many stories that have already been told? I think about what other artists have explored similar themes. Cy Twombly and his blackboard paintings, for example. They were playful, layered with marks and gestures, and full of potential energy. Artists are always in conversation, inspiring one another, building on what has come before. Painting, like writing, is about embracing ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations, and finding new ways of seeing the world.