Rechthoek c. 1928

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this page of calculations with pen on paper. It seems that the artist was estimating a commission or work expenses in the pages of his notebook. The material, in this case, the humble page and pen, influences the appearance of the artwork. There is an immediacy and intimacy to the page, the arithmetic showing the process of costing out his labor. The material carries its own inherent qualities, the texture of the paper, the weight of the ink, and the form of the artist's calculations. By considering the materials and processes involved, we gain insight into the labor and economic considerations underlying artistic production, prompting us to consider art not as a purely aesthetic endeavor, but as work. This invites us to expand the definition of what can be art, and challenge the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.