A street 1910

Martiros Sarian made this sketch called "A street" with graphite on paper, and it's all about the energy of the line. See how the buildings lean in, almost like they’re gossiping about the donkeys in the road? There's a real push-pull here between what's defined and what's left open. Look at the way he renders the donkeys. They’re solid, there is a sense of weight in those marks, but they’re still just a bundle of lines. This tension is really important, I think, because it keeps the drawing alive. It's not just a picture, it's a record of a thought. Sarian reminds me of Marsden Hartley, who was also interested in capturing the feeling of a place, not just its appearance. And, like Hartley, Sarian invites us to bring our own experiences to the work, to fill in the gaps and become active participants in the art's creation. There’s no single, right way to see it, and that's what makes it so compelling.