Brightlingsea, No.2 1922

James McBey made this etching, Brightlingsea, No. 2, and it’s all about the beauty of simple marks. The almost monochromatic palette and delicate lines are a real testament to the power of a well-considered, and well-executed process. Looking at the shore, you see these tiny figures rendered with just a few strokes, somehow capturing their essence and movement. And then there are the boats, each line suggesting volume and texture. I think it’s the kind of work that makes you appreciate the physical act of mark-making; it's so clear that he loves the medium and the way the etching tool responds to the plate. It reminds me a bit of Whistler, with that same sense of atmosphere created through minimal means. But McBey brings his own energy to it, a kind of liveliness. What he shows us here is a space that holds multiple ideas and visions at once, but never settles on one fixed point.