Time of Change 1943

Morris Graves made this painting, called Time of Change, with an expressive freedom; see how each brushstroke feels so alive! Imagine Graves approaching the canvas, maybe with ink and watercolor, allowing the images to emerge through layering and erasure. The painting’s divided into sections, each inhabited by these bird-like figures. The colour shifts from a ghostly white to a fiery red, and finally settles into a stormy grey. Look at how the brushstrokes are so loose. The lines feel frantic, capturing a sense of movement and transformation. I wonder if Graves was thinking about the fleeting nature of time when he made this work, or how one state morphs into another, like a bird in flight? He’s part of a long tradition of painters fascinated by the natural world, like Audubon. I'm inspired by how artists are in ongoing conversation and exchange across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. It reminds me that painting embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations.