Bandbox c. 1953

Arsen Maralian painted this cardboard bandbox cover with broad flat planes of colour. The scene captures boats battling the waves beneath a light blue sky, one headed towards a lighthouse at Sandy Hook. I wonder what the process was like for Maralian, carefully brushing diluted colours into the scene, no doubt with the original cylindrical bandbox in mind. I love the simplicity of the lighthouse, how it’s conjured with just a few strokes, and the waves, thick and cresting. They speak to the grand tradition of maritime painting, but rendered with a folk art flatness. It reminds me of other self-taught artists, working outside the mainstream, like Bill Traylor. What I find interesting is that Maralian’s work feels so immediate, like he's speaking to us across time about something elemental and powerful. It invites a world of possibilities that's so freeing for the viewer.