Untitled (Downtown, the El?) c. 1921

Editor: This is John Marin’s "Untitled (Downtown, the El?)," created around 1921, primarily with pencil on paper. It's a pretty loose sketch, almost fleeting, capturing a sense of urban energy. What strikes you most about it? Curator: The emphasis on the immediacy of the line and the subject of urban transit prompts an interesting materialist analysis. Marin uses the humble pencil to capture a fleeting glimpse of the modern city and its industrial mechanisms. The roughness of the line points to an interest not in polished academic technique, but rather a direct engagement with the environment. Do you consider the material choices important? Editor: I think so! It definitely feels like the choice of pencil contributes to that sense of transience. Something more formal like oil paints would create a totally different feel. Curator: Exactly. Consider too the 'El', the elevated train system: a key element of the city's infrastructural fabric and how people experienced the modern world at the time. The drawing isn’t just a representation, it is an artifact of Marin's labor, reflecting his experience of a changing urban landscape. Is this "high art" or is it documentation of infrastructure? Does the line separate the two at all? Editor: That's a great question, I see the blurred line there. This makes me rethink how we value these kinds of works. I always considered drawings preparatory or somehow 'lesser' than a painting. But maybe that's wrong. Curator: Precisely. By highlighting the processes and material means of artistic creation – here, pencil sketches of infrastructure – Marin, perhaps unintentionally, blurs traditional boundaries and challenges assumptions about the value assigned to different artistic mediums and modes of production. Editor: Thanks for pointing out the link between his process, the El and this question of artistic value. I am seeing how it all connects so much better now!