Fokker's parasol-eendekker. Geen spandraden: groot stygvermogen 1919 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing, *Fokker's parasol-eendekker. Geen spandraden: groot stygvermogen*, with pen and brush in the Netherlands. There’s a sort of bold confidence in the stark graphic elements he’s using; a strong idea, executed simply. The way Stolk has handled the materials feels very direct. The black ink is laid down with assertiveness, giving the plane a powerful graphic presence against the pale ground. Look at the textural variation in the blue flourishes; the pencil marks still visible and yet somehow a harmonious part of the whole. He’s not trying to hide his process. The title is part of the image; the graphic quality of the lettering really sings. It reminds me a little of Stuart Davis's lettering, which is interesting since both artists have an interest in the dynamics of urban space. Ultimately, art is about visual conversations across time, so it's not about fixed meanings, but about open-ended dialogues.