Untitled, Skyscraper, Downtown c. 1925

Curator: We're looking at John Marin's "Untitled, Skyscraper, Downtown," created around 1925. It's a pencil drawing. Editor: Immediately, the sketch's raw energy jumps out. There's a sense of precariousness and almost violent thrusting upwards. The marks feel urgent, like they’re barely containing the force of the city. Curator: Marin was deeply influenced by the avant-garde movements in Europe, particularly Futurism. He translated their fascination with dynamism and movement into distinctly American scenes, often focusing on the rapidly changing urban landscape of New York. It reflects the interwar fascination with cities as power centers and modernity. Editor: That makes sense. There’s definitely an industrial pulse to it. You can almost feel the vibrations from construction. I am also looking at the material constraints that a tool such as a pencil forces. The repetitive strokes feel tied to factory production, to a kind of urban labor made visible. It begs the question of what pencils were made of at that time, of their availability, etc. Curator: Absolutely. His perspective, quite literally, also contributes to this sensation. By fragmenting and distorting the architecture, he conveys a sense of instability, mirroring the societal anxieties of the time and critiquing unchecked urban development. And the sketch shows a tension between progress and potential collapse. Editor: I agree with that. It brings the means of production to the forefront. The roughness underscores that buildings are always processes, not just static objects of consumption. Each stroke represents someone’s hand, shaping steel and stone. It moves against notions of 'high art'. The choice to make drawings is particularly intriguing. Is Marin subtly commenting on labor, materiality and process by emphasizing drawing as a technique? Curator: That's a very interesting point. I hadn't thought of the inherent commentary on materiality there, beyond its modern, raw feel, as the artist responds to rapid modernization. Editor: It is powerful how Marin turns what could be celebratory depictions of American ambition into fragmented compositions full of this sort of labor consciousness. It’s a city both being built and simultaneously, it appears, falling apart. Curator: Indeed, Marin manages to capture a vital paradox within early 20th-century urban life. Editor: Looking at this sketch offers such layered insight into the very tangible experience of constructing a city – physically, socially and economically.