Krantenknipsel uit archief Philip Zilcken 1911

This anonymous newspaper clipping from the archive of Philip Zilcken is just like a painter's canvas, a ground for new meanings and ideas to emerge. Imagine the original reader, their hands smudged with ink as they absorbed the news of the day. What caught their eye? What stories stuck with them? We can only guess at the intentions and reactions of the person who clipped this piece of paper. The yellowing of the paper speaks to a history of material transformation, not unlike the effects of layering and blending paints. It is a reminder that all artistic gestures, whether cutting and pasting or drawing and painting, are a response to a unique moment in time. Perhaps the anonymous artist was like Philip Guston, digging into the daily grind for inspiration and truth. All artists are constantly in conversation with the world, and each other, building on past ideas and creating something new.