Outdoor Space c. 1938

Beulah Stevenson made "Outdoor Space" with what looks like charcoal, maybe, or some kind of dry pigment. It's all about how the marks make space, isn’t it? The really interesting thing about a piece like this is how it feels like you're seeing the world being constructed, one mark at a time. Notice how the dark, almost oppressive lines at the top and left kind of ‘frame’ the lighter, more open space in the middle. There’s a real push and pull between what’s solid and what's not. The textures are amazing, too. Look at the little speckled dots, almost like it’s raining in this outdoor space! It's not about representing the world perfectly, but more about the act of seeing, marking, and feeling a space come together. It reminds me of Arthur Dove, that same kind of poetic abstraction, turning nature into something felt, not just seen. It leaves you wondering, and that's the best part.