The Squall, Kampen 1923 - 1924

James McBey made “The Squall, Kampen” with black ink on paper, and when I look at it, I feel the wind on my face. The rapidly-drawn lines feel urgent, capturing the essence of a sudden storm. I can imagine McBey, his coat flapping, quickly etching these lines, trying to capture the moment before the light changed or the boats were gone. I wonder if he was out there in it? The way the lines create the waves, with a kind of nervous energy, reminds me of the work of other artists who were fascinated by the sea, like Turner. There's something about the act of repeatedly etching that line that becomes like the repetitive movement of the waves. What’s so amazing is how each artist, across time and place, has responded to nature's energy. They are sharing something, these artists, a language built of marks. I think of this piece as an offering of sensation and the feeling of the sea.