Woolworth Building, No. 1 1913

John Marin made this etching of the Woolworth Building using a metal plate and acid, a process that’s all about controlled accidents. The lines feel so immediate, like he’s trying to catch the building in motion. It's as if the city itself is alive, a breathing thing. Look at the way he's layered those lines, building up the form of the building, but also letting it dissolve into the atmosphere. It's like he's not just showing us the building, but also the feeling of being in the city, the energy and the chaos. There's one section, near the top of the building, where the lines really start to vibrate, almost like the building is humming. Marin reminds me a bit of the Italian Futurists, who were also obsessed with capturing movement and speed. But Marin’s got this American directness that’s all his own. Art isn't about fixed meanings, it's more like a conversation, a way of seeing and feeling the world that keeps evolving.