C. Powell Minnigerode, Terry Farnsworth, Edward Hopper, and Richard Lahey in New York City 1943

Richard Lahey made this drawing of C. Powell Minnigerode, Terry Farnsworth, Edward Hopper, and Richard Lahey in New York City with pen and ink. The quick, scratchy marks all over the paper give the impression of a city in motion, maybe even a city in the rain. I love the way the ink creates a sense of depth, with some lines darker and thicker than others. The artist is not trying to give us a realistic depiction. What we see is a kind of shorthand, a personal way of noting the world. The marks are so energetic; they remind us that art is really about the process of seeing and recording. Look at the lower left corner of the picture: the lines are darker and more dense, grounding the picture. It’s almost as if Lahey is making art like a jazz musician, improvising and riffing on the world around him. Think of Marsden Hartley's New Mexico landscapes and how those works similarly captured the feel of a specific place and time. Art is just the best conversation, don’t you think? It's messy, always ambiguous, and always open to new interpretations.