Marin << MAIR uhn >>, John (1870-1953), was one of the first American artists to paint in a modern style. He combined realistic images with elements of an abstract style called cubism (see Cubism). Marin’s paintings include bold, angular lines; vivid colors; patches of bare paper or canvas; and overlapping planes. Some of these planes cluster at the edge of the work to reinforce the frame. Many of Marin’s water-color and oil paintings are seascapes and landscapes that express in abstract ways the powerful forces of change in nature. The active forms he used in his representation of objects give his work a sense of movement and energy.
Marin was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 23, 1870. He lived in Paris from 1905 to 1911 and traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy. His work of this period shows the influence of James A. M. Whistler, an American painter of the late 1800’s. Marin first exhibited his paintings in Paris in 1908. His work was shown in the United States for the first time in 1909, at the gallery of Alfred Stieglitz in New York City. Stieglitz, a photographer and art promoter, was the chief spokesman for modern art in the United States. He became Marin’s most active supporter.
Marin returned to the United States in 1911 and began to develop a distinctive personal style in response to both urban life and nature. Most of his paintings portray his immediate surroundings, such as New York City and the coast of Maine. He painted his impression of New York City in Lower Manhattan (1922). Marin traveled to other parts of the country to find new subjects for his paintings. Storm Over Taos (1930) reflects some of the beauty of New Mexico. Marin died on Oct. 1, 1953.
