Striker 1935

Jacob Kainen made "Striker" out of watercolor, and probably ink, on paper. The way Kainen's put down these marks, it feels so immediate, like the paint is just barely clinging to the page, like it could all come undone at any moment. Look at how he’s laid down the blue of the rider’s jacket. It's translucent, washy, almost like he’s testing the waters, trying to find the form through the process of painting itself. It's not about hiding the process, but about revealing it. The ink outlines are thick and bold, they don’t just describe the forms, they create them. The horse is kind of pink, a bit fleshy, and the rider's face is just a slash of red. These bold strokes aren’t just lines, they’re gestures, little explosions of energy. I love the way the black ink seems to pool and gather, creating these unexpected textures. Kainen's approach reminds me of someone like Marsden Hartley, that same raw, expressive energy, that willingness to let the paint speak for itself. I think that art is ultimately about embracing ambiguity, about letting go of control, and allowing the unexpected to happen.