St. Johns, New Brunswick, Canada 1951

Editor: This ink drawing, "St. Johns, New Brunswick, Canada," created by John Marin in 1951, is so light and airy. It’s a simple cityscape, almost like a quick sketch. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Well, look at the material conditions here. It's ink on paper, yes, but that cheap spiral binding to the side suggests it was quickly done en plein air. It challenges that traditional notion of a finished 'artwork,' doesn’t it? Marin wasn’t interested in the preciousness of materials. What does this suggest about his artistic priorities? Editor: I guess he prioritized capturing a fleeting impression over creating a highly polished piece. Maybe accessibility was important to him. Curator: Precisely. This drawing is born from the intersection of available materials, economic conditions, and Marin’s own labor. He democratizes the art-making process. Did his social context influence his choices? What were the labor dynamics involved in producing the paper and ink? These questions enrich our understanding beyond just aesthetics. Editor: So you are looking at not just WHAT the image depicts, but how it was created, and how social structures shaped those means of production? Curator: Exactly! Consider also that reproducible nature of drawing versus, say, oil painting at the time, and you get at questions of value too, of material consumption! What did owning this work MEAN? Editor: I never considered the art supplies themselves having so much to say. Curator: Materiality is a form of language itself. Examining art from this perspective opens new dialogues. What stories are in the things art is made of? Editor: I’ll definitely be thinking about the material origins and processes more deeply from now on! Curator: Wonderful, now look at the other pieces in this collection armed with your fresh outlook.