Black Mesa and House

Following Cady Wells's study with Andrew Dasburg in 1932, the former looked to the northern New Mexico landscape to find an appropriate stylistic expression. Dasburg encouraged Wells to convey the essence of nature through minimal line and color. During this phase of his career, Wells also attempted to digest the influence of John Marin, who had visited Taos in 1929 and 1930 and left a lasting example. The intersecting lines used to describe the mesas and the rain showers emulate those of Marin, who used line to describe tangible form as well as unseen energies.