Study for "Great America" (Under Water) c. 1994

This is Kerry James Marshall's "Study for 'Great America' (Under Water)," a sketch on paper. It's like a map of an idea still taking shape. The quick, blue lines give us two scenes – an upper deck and what he's labeled "ship from below water." I love that Marshall lets us see his thinking, the raw bones of his process. Look at how the figures are rendered with just a few strokes, capturing the essence of movement and emotion. You can almost feel the buoyancy of water here. This sketch reminds me a bit of Philip Guston's late work, where the messiness and directness of the marks become the point. It's not about perfection but about honesty and immediacy. Like a conversation, revealing the artist's thought process. It shows us that art is not just about the final image, but the journey, the questions, and the exploration.