Twee meerkoeten tussen riet 1900 - 1910

Okuhara Seiko created this print of two moorhens amongst reeds using ink and colour on paper. I imagine Seiko completely absorbed in the quiet, contemplative experience of watching the birds, feeling the mood of the place and the weather, finding a way to make marks to conjure that feeling. The reeds are built up with multiple thin black lines of different lengths. They overlap, creating a sense of depth. I wonder if she worked from life, en plein air, like the Impressionists. The birds have a graphic quality, but there's also a softness to the way the colours blend. It’s all about understatement, nothing is overstated. And maybe that's the point, right? To capture a fleeting moment. Seiko is not trying to capture these birds for all time, but she’s honoring the experience. And in doing so, she's having a conversation with other artists across time.