Journal Entries

Journal Entries is a richly illustrated paperback book showcasing the complete series of 37 artworks by Cologne-based artist Sabine Moritz, produced during the months from March to June 2020 when the world was experiencing unprecedented upheaval.

Beginning each work with an etching of a rose as its basis – a symbol that recurs throughout the artist's oeuvre – Moritz experiments with line, tone and colour in a contemplative daily practice. Each work is hand-coloured with charcoal, oil pastel and oil paint, exhibiting the artist's broad range of gesture and mark-making. The 37 works are reproduced full-page alongside the poem 'Sacred Emily' (1913) by Gertrude Stein.

Moritz experiments with the repetition of a rose in her drawings and printmaking, just as Gertrude Stein recites in her famous refrain: 'Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.' Stein first wrote this line in 1913 for 'Sacred Emily' but many readers are not familiar with the broad context of the entire poem. Printed in Journal Entries in its entirety, the poem runs through the book in 10-line stanzas parallel to each artwork. Moritz's drawings converse with Stein's words in a symphony of freedom and open-ended experimentation.

Moritz explores the infinite forms of the rose etching in a simple act of artistic perseverance that resonates profoundly with Stein's 'continuous present.' Journal Entries is a capsule of turbulent months made beautiful by intimate drawings that capture the passing days and prolonged moments of reflection during an unparalleled moment in human history.

Journal Entries was published to coincide with the debut exhibition of the works at HENI Gallery in Soho, London.