New York City Street Movement Abstractions 1920

John Marin created “New York City Street Movement Abstractions” with graphite on paper. The sketch presents a scaffolding of lines and shapes, evoking the energy of urban construction. Vertical lines dominate, countered by diagonals and fragmented rectangles that suggest a dynamic, unfixed space. Marin's approach echoes the Futurist movement, which aimed to capture motion and speed. However, unlike the Futurists’ embrace of industrial progress, Marin filters his urban scenes through a Cubist lens. We see the city not as a solid form, but as a series of shifting planes and perspectives. The white space is integral, creating a sense of air and light moving through the composition. The fragmented lines challenge the viewer to piece together their own experience of the modern city. This interplay of line and space constructs a visual language that is both abstract and deeply evocative of New York's relentless vitality.