Untitled 1968

This untitled work was made by Stanislav Kolíbal sometime around 1967. It's all very spare, almost architectural, with its horizontal lines and precise verticals. I’m thinking about what it was like for Kolíbal to make this piece. Was he thinking about Sol LeWitt or Agnes Martin? Or maybe he was just doodling, letting his mind wander as the lines emerged on the paper? The black lines are so crisp and clean. I wonder what kind of pen or marker he used, and what it felt like to drag it across the page, committing to each line, each placement. There’s something really satisfying about the way the lines interact with the negative space, creating a sense of balance and order. Then, at the bottom, we have this unexpected loop, this scribble that breaks the pattern and introduces a note of playfulness and humor. It’s like a little wink, a reminder that even in the most structured systems, there’s always room for improvisation and surprise.