Isabel Bishop Early Sketchbook c. 1928 - 1936

This is an early sketchbook page by Isabel Bishop, full of ink drawings, although the date is unknown, the spontaneity of mark making makes me think that it was made from direct observation of people. There’s a real fluidity to the marks, like she’s trying to capture the essence of movement, maybe the feeling of a crowd, the quick energy of a city. There's a sense of layering and correction to the marks, they weave around, never settling and it all happens at speed. The pen must have been flying! I keep coming back to the cluster of figures near the top left of the page. The sketchy lines convey so much about the weight of bodies, the angle of heads, the casual proximity of strangers in a public space. It's like she's trying to understand the rhythm of how people gather, and how a group forms. Think of her as akin to other great American artists of her time, like Edward Hopper, but with a more playful touch. Bishop offers us a slice of life, unfiltered and immediate.