Adresser og notater 1906 - 1910

This is a page from a notebook by Niels Larsen Stevns, but without a date. Looking at it, I see the kind of art that isn’t about making a perfect picture, but is more like a record of thinking. The surface is busy with text, addresses and notes all jumbled together. It is as if Stevns was trying to capture every passing thought, every little scrap of information, nothing seems too important or unimportant. There's a freedom here, in the casual way he's layered the marks. It reminds me of how I sometimes just let my mind wander when I’m painting. One thing leads to another, and before I know it, I’ve stumbled onto something new. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the nature of art itself. Is it about the final product, or is it about the journey, the process, the act of making? I’m reminded of Cy Twombly and his scribbled paintings which embrace this idea that art is about exploration rather than explanation.