Cattle Brand c. 1936

J. Henry Marley made this drawing of a Cattle Brand, and right away, what grabs me is its confident simplicity. It’s like a logo, but raw. The black ink on the off-white paper is so direct. You can almost feel the hand moving, making these bold marks. The ink isn't uniform, it's thicker in some places, thinner in others, which gives it a real handmade feel. I love how the lines wobble slightly; it makes the whole thing feel alive. Look at the circle at the top – it's not perfect, and that’s the beauty of it. It's this little imperfection that gives the piece so much personality. It reminds me a bit of some of Guston’s later, more cartoonish works, where the crudeness is the point. Both artists embrace a kind of honesty in their mark-making. In the end, maybe art is really just about making a mark, staking a claim, leaving your brand.