Etudes: The Poetry of Dreams + Other Fragments [Hardcover]

John Marxs watercolors, first published in the Architectural Review, are a captivating example of an architects way of thinking. Subtle and quiet they are nonetheless compelling works in how they tackle a sense of place, of inhabiting space and time all the while resonating with the core of ones inner being. There is an existential quality to these watercolors that is rare to be found in this medium. Something akin to the psychologically piercing observational quality of artists like De Chirico or Hopper.As architects strive to communicate their ideas, it is interesting to explore the world of Marxs watercolors as an example of a humane approach to conveying emotional meaning in relation to our environment. Marxs subject matter read like built landscapes heightening the role of the manmade yet wholly in balance with the natural world. This is a message and sentiment that is perhaps more important than ever to relay to audiences.CNJohn Marx is that comparative rarity: an architect whose working method is informed by his poetry. His paintings live somewhere in between poem and buildinggenerated from ideas about space and time, enriched by color, form, and the prospect of things to come.Paul Finch, editorial director, The Architectural Review I love this book! ?tudes by John Marx is an insightful, beautifully elegant look into the art and mind of an accomplished, contemporary Renaissance man. The paintings and poetryappearing isolated when taken individuallymerge wonderfully into coherence by the thread of a line or the design of a page. The wonderment builds with every turn. Will Roger Peterson, founding board member and chair, Burning Man ProjectThere is a sense of condensed observation and acceptance of life, and humility in the face of beauty, in his poetry which accompanies John's abstracted and refined watercolorswords flowing in space as thoughts journey across the pagesperhaps reflecting the architects loss of free expression as his internal lҬ