Sunset 1922

John Marin made this watercolour, called ‘Sunset’, sometime in his life. What I love about his work is that it feels as if he’s literally wrestling with the landscape, trying to pin it down with these restless, jittery marks. I imagine him outside, maybe it was cold, squinting at the light, trying to capture the fleeting moment with whatever he had to hand. The colours are muted, almost somber – greens, blues, and greys, punctuated by a fierce red sun. The paint is thin, transparent, washy. Marin’s marks feel urgent, scratchy, like he’s scribbling notes to himself. I look at the jumble of shapes and lines and I see him grappling with space, air, and light. He's almost saying 'you won't get away from me!' – it's a conversation across time.