Blank 1937 - 1938

Here's a blank notebook page by Niels Larsen Stevns over at SMK, with simple blue lines like something you might find at school. When I look at this, I feel an immediate kinship, like I'm holding the book with Niels. It’s tempting to think of this page as a challenge, a dare, or a call to action - what would I fill it with? But maybe it was already full for the artist? Maybe it was a space to think and reflect. I think of Agnes Martin and her grids, or Cy Twombly and his scrawls – so much possibility in limitation! Even just the physicality of the lined paper, the way the fibers catch the light. It’s kind of beautiful, you know? Blankness can be powerful, too. We are always inspired by those who came before us. And even something as simple as ruled paper can hold so much potential.