Salt Marshes 1930

Kerr Eby made this print, Salt Marshes, and you can see how he built up the image with small, repeated marks. Looking at this, I can imagine Eby out in nature, squinting, trying to capture the vastness of the sky and land. He’s making these tiny scratches that feel like he's trying to pin down something fleeting and immense. The surface is full of these lines, creating texture and depth. It reminds me of the way Agnes Martin used to draw lines over and over again, trying to find some kind of truth or essence. It feels like Eby is sharing a moment of quiet contemplation with us, inviting us to slow down and notice the subtle beauty of the landscape. And I guess that's what art is all about, right? Sharing ways of seeing, thinking, and feeling.