Cattle Brand c. 1936

J. Henry Marley made this drawing of a cattle brand, we don't know exactly when, with what looks like thick black ink on paper. The marks are declarative and bold. I'm drawn to the physical presence of the ink. It's like each stroke has a life of its own. You can almost feel the artist carefully applying the ink, letting it pool in certain areas, creating a sense of depth and shadow. The paper is unadorned and bare, in contrast to the density of the design. There's something really wonderful about the idea of a cattle brand being transformed into an abstract composition. The graphic simplicity reminds me of the work of artists like Ellsworth Kelly, who also found beauty in everyday forms. Art-making is about seeing the world around you with new eyes and transforming it into something unexpected.