Virginia Landscape 1944

This is Arshile Gorky's *Virginia Landscape*, likely made in the 1940s with crayon and pencil. It feels like Gorky is thinking through drawing, letting the lines find their own way. The lines, they’re mostly pale and unassuming, but then there are these pops of color – reds, yellows, blues – that just zing! I love how he doesn’t commit, doesn’t fill things in, but leaves it open, sketchy. It’s like he’s inviting you to finish the thought, or not. The surface is so delicate, almost ephemeral, you can feel the lightness of his touch. Take that cluster of red lines near the top – are they flames, or maybe just a burst of energy? It doesn't matter! It keeps the whole piece vibrating. Gorky’s work always reminds me of Joan Miró, that playful exploration of form and line, but Gorky adds this layer of personal angst, like he's wrestling something out on the page. It's never just one thing.