Pen-ruled paper produced by Susan Pratt at Golden Business Forms, West Burlington, Iowa.

Reference note:
De Rekening is a work built upon an artist-created system of ‘fake writing’ used to mark the passing of time. Inspired by the anonymous entries in 19th Century ledgers and account books, De Rekening borrows its form and repetitive structure from those utilitarian yet evocative receptacles of time. The ruled lines in the book were mechanically drawn using a pen ruling machine at Golden Business Forms in West Burlington, Iowa, especially for this edition.

Pen ruling was widely used in the 19th and early 20th Century in the ledger and account book trade; Golden Business Forms is one of the last purveyors of this technology.

Exhibition notes:
Beyond Words

JGCBA

20 June - 11 Aug 2023

Ref: GB/13813