Big Top Interior c. 1940s

John Marin made this drawing, "Big Top Interior", using crayon, and it feels like a playful improvisation. The strokes are quick, almost like a shorthand, capturing the energy of a circus rather than its literal appearance. There’s something so raw and immediate about the marks. You can almost feel the crayon scratching across the paper. The colors—red, blue, and black—are laid down with varying pressure, creating different densities and textures. Look at the way he uses blue to create a sense of depth, layering the strokes to build up a mass of color. There’s a star shape in the bottom left, barely contained by a red oval, and for me, this is the key to the whole thing. It's like the artist is saying that even the most chaotic spectacle has a focal point, a moment of clarity. It reminds me of Joan Mitchell, in that both artists embrace the messy, intuitive side of art-making. Ultimately, this drawing is about embracing the freedom of not knowing exactly where you’re going but trusting the process to lead you somewhere interesting.