Penn. Station 1929

Reginald Marsh made this drawing, Penn. Station, probably in 1929, with crayon, ink, and graphite on paper. Marsh is working it out, and so are we! You can see the erasures and changes in the marks that he’s made, a real sense of the studio. I find myself getting lost in the thicket of marks at the bottom of the page, trying to decipher each line, each scribble, to understand what is being depicted. Marsh is playing with a rich range of textures – some areas are dense and dark, others light and airy. The surface is alive with activity, mirroring the chaotic energy of Penn Station itself. See how his marks create a feeling of constant movement and bustle? That figure striding confidently with a briefcase in hand is echoed formally in the diagonal, almost hysterical lines representing discarded newspapers on the floor. It reminds me of the work of Kathe Kollwitz, but with more optimism. Ultimately, art is about process, a continuous dialogue, a way of embracing the questions rather than seeking definitive answers.