Work 1963

Tsuruko Yamazaki made this painting, titled ‘Work’, with oil paint. I love how the painting is divided in two, yet the shapes and colours playfully ignore this boundary. The primary colours are laid down with bold, confident strokes, and the white background peeks through, adding a sense of lightness and spontaneity. There’s something really satisfying about the way Yamazaki handles the paint. It’s neither too thick nor too thin, but just right, allowing the colours to sing without feeling heavy. Look at the top right corner, where a series of red dots cascade down the canvas—it’s like a little visual melody that keeps the eye dancing. The splatters and drips feel like happy accidents, moments where the painting took on a life of its own. This reminds me a little of Elizabeth Murray, who also played with shapes and colours to create these amazing visual puzzles. Art is like a conversation, right? Everyone’s riffing off each other, adding their own spin. And that’s what makes it so exciting, we can choose what to add to the conversation.