Inland Sea, Japan 1967

Ivan Albright made this watercolor, Inland Sea, Japan, in 1937. The blue, red, and yellow washes of color evoke the landscape with a child-like simplicity. I can imagine Albright dabbing the paper, letting the colors bloom and blend, figuring out how to suggest the vastness of the sea with minimal marks. The mountains in the background are rendered with such expressive brushstrokes, capturing the undulating terrain with surprising ease. The thinness of the paint allows the paper to breathe, creating a sense of openness and light. Then, a bridge emerges, suggesting a crossing, a passage, or a connection between worlds, between cultures. It’s like Albright is in conversation with artists like John Marin, who also used watercolor to capture the energy and immediacy of his surroundings. There is a sense of exploration, not just of place, but of the medium itself. Albright invites us to see the world anew, embracing the beauty of imperfection and the magic of spontaneous expression.