Urayasu 1951

Toshi Yoshida made this print, Urayasu, using woodblocks to create an image of a village nestled around a waterway. I can imagine Yoshida carefully carving each block, inking it, and pressing it onto paper, layering color upon color to construct this tranquil scene. He captured the reflections on the water’s surface through subtle gradations of color, which is pretty amazing. The way the water is moving and the careful placement of each boat, suggests a bustling, working harbor. It makes me wonder how Yoshida chose this specific viewpoint, balancing the human activity with the stillness of the water and the domesticity of the homes. Yoshida was part of a tradition of printmaking, a lineage of artists exchanging ideas. Each one pushing the boundaries of the medium, and showing us new ways of seeing and feeling the world. Isn’t that what we all aspire to?