Sarajevo 1968

Red Grooms made this pen and ink drawing, "Sarajevo," using a nervous but energetic line to capture a bustling city scene. It's like he's trying to get all the details down as quickly as possible, creating this incredible sense of movement and chaos. I love how the brown ink defines the architecture and figures in the foreground, while the mountains in the background are rendered in black. The contrast really draws you in, and there's so much to explore. Look closely at the rooftops, and the tiny figures clustered together. The way Grooms uses line to create texture and depth reminds me of a fever dream by Philip Guston. It’s as if the whole city is alive and breathing. Grooms' work often has this playful, almost cartoonish quality. This piece echoes the works of artists like Saul Steinberg, who also embraced a kind of whimsical, narrative-driven drawing style. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to be serious. Sometimes, it can just be about capturing the joy and energy of a place.