Landscape 1952

This landscape by John Marin from 1932, probably made with coloured pencils, feels so immediate, like the artist just dashed it off. The marks are so loose, almost scribbled, but they capture something essential about the scene. I love how Marin uses color sparingly, just little pops of green and red to suggest depth and texture. The paper itself becomes part of the picture, its tone acting as a kind of hazy atmosphere. Look at the way he renders the clouds, they are barely there, just a few lines that suggest form without really defining it. And the way he layers the lines, it’s almost like he’s thinking out loud on the paper. Marin reminds me of Marsden Hartley, they both had this incredible ability to distill a scene down to its bare bones. This drawing is a great example of how art can be about the process of seeing, not just about recording what’s there.