Sea and Sun 1947

John Marin created *Sea and Sun* with charcoal on paper. It's signed 'Marin 47,' so, I’m guessing it was made in 1947. I like the sketchiness of this piece, and how he manages to evoke so much with such simple means! You can almost feel the roughness of the charcoal scratching against the page, the urgent energy of the hand moving quickly to capture the essence of a scene. The sun in the sky feels so lonely in the composition. Marin's work always makes me think about the legacy of artists who looked for new ways to capture the dynamism of the modern world. It reminds me of Kandinsky and his improvisations – the desire to capture not just what you see, but also what you feel. It's a conversation across time, artists responding to each other, building on each other's discoveries, and trusting in the power of their own unique vision.