Dream 1904

Martiros Sarian made "Dream" with what looks like watercolor and ink, and right away you see how he's letting the materials do their thing. The washes pool and bleed, and the ink lines scratch around, kind of like automatic drawing. Up close, the paint is really thin, almost ghostly. Look at the way the figures emerge from the ground, like memories. The trees are just scribbles, but they feel so full of life. And did you see the white goat standing in the back? It's like he's inviting us to see the world as somewhere between waking and sleeping, a process of constant change. Sarian's got this way of making landscapes that are both familiar and totally strange, like Arthur Dove but with more soul. It's dreamy and weird, and that’s what makes it so good. It stays with you, this half-remembered feeling.