Strooilepel c. 1910 - 1920

Cornelis Begeer made this silver spoon, or 'Strooilepel,' which translates to 'sprinkling spoon,' with a real sense of precision. It's not paint, but the approach to this piece has so much in common with painting; it's subtractive rather than additive, about revealing form by removing material. The spoon's surface has been so meticulously worked, its texture and patina built up by the artist's touch. The bowl is all these delicate cuts and piercings. Looking at the center, these shapes radiating out from a central point, you get the feeling of something caught in motion, light streaming through these elegant apertures. There is a real conversation here between the functional object and the aspiration to sculpture. This spoon reminds me of the work of artists like Lygia Clark, who also took functional objects and transformed them, giving them a new life as something else. It's a reminder that art is all about how we look, how we see, and how objects can have multiple lives.