Two years have passed since my last blog post. Two years filled with books and some unexpected hurdles on the way. Meanwhile LIVING IRON, about the rich diversity of iron and the visual appeal of rust, has continued to grow and is now reaching completion. …
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What is the difference between a line – and certainly characters – drawn by hand and in print? How come that in the first case there is an unmistakable warmth which is hard to fake in print even if a collection of typeface imitates classical handwriting to perfection, specially adapted…
Read moreThe theme of imagination and play has not left me in the past weeks, as illustrated by hospital drawings, among others, which seem to have worried some of my friends recently. Sitting with the family around a Christmas fireplace, we discuss once…
Read moreWillpower does far more for us than to support achievements other people expect from us. We need it to listen to our deepest voice without being distracted. Making space for ourselves needs confidence and determination. Alan Watts describes its essence in his essay on…
Read moreAt the Venice Biennale of 1995, the entire Danish pavilion was occupied by only one artist, John Olsen. The space was light in its Scandinavian simplicity, yet the exhibition felt like a dense, intimate world. During my visit I was the only visitor, which added to the intensity of the…
Read moreHere is another quotation in the same spirit as in last week’s blog post from an inspiring little book, ‘What is history’ by E. H. Carr: ‘…as soon as I have got going on a few of what I take to be the capital sources, the itch becomes too strong…
Read moreToday, in a reflective mood about the artist’s work, I’m only quoting others… ‘… the making of art has nothing at all to do with knowledge, education, craft, technique, sophistication, style, concept, subject, process, praise, the judgment of others, who you know, where you live, your age,…
Read moreCrossing the road on my daily walk this morning, I noticed that the asphalt had been repaired in a surprisingly playful way and on such a scale that it could not be a coincidence. The intriguing designs created by the roadworkers reminded me of…
Read more©britannica.com/blogs/2011/03/einsteins-physics-photos-day/ A French medical specialist recently told me at his mentor’s funeral how much he was missing him now that he had passed away. Their relationship had grown since university into solid friendship over decades and while he had taken over his teacher’s position years ago, he…
Read moreIn a BBC2 interview with Andrew Marr on 27 February (A Culture Show Special: The Art of Seeing), walking through David Hockney’s current Royal Academy exhibition in London, the artist talks about how we forget to see things, to look at things. A photograph, he says,…
Read moreThe contrast between my books appears sometimes to be confusing. There is a leading thread, however, as each one is the result of a largely visual coup de foudre. I didn’t plan to go to India, I was invited and once there, it struck me deep. I never thought I…
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