Mallards 1910

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print of Mallards, and it's interesting to think about what the wood does to the image. The texture in the sky is a flat grey, yet the variation implies depth. Then the crisp white lines define the snow laden reeds beneath two ducks in flight. The way that Koson works with the wood—carving it, inking it—becomes a language. What do I mean by language? Think about the way that the wing tips of the mallard overhead just kiss the back of the lower bird’s head. That proximity is charged, right? The composition suggests an intimacy, a tenderness between the two creatures, but that emotion only comes through because of the formal arrangement of shapes and lines. Koson’s engagement with western art can be seen in his use of light and shadow, maybe like Whistler’s moody nocturnes. But he maintains a Japanese aesthetic through simplified forms, flat planes, and keen observation of the natural world.