Express 1988

Hiro Yamagata made this snapshot of a street scene with paint, conjuring a world teeming with movement. I imagine him standing back, brush in hand, carefully plotting the choreography of bodies and vehicles across the canvas. There's a real sense of joy here, isn't there? I can almost feel the sun on my face as I look at this. The way the warm yellows and browns dominate, punctuated by pops of red and green, really evokes a sense of urban energy. I’m wondering if he’s interested in the way light bounces off the buildings and the street, creating these long shadows and highlights that give the scene so much depth. Each little figure seems to be caught in its own world, rushing to some unknown destination. For me, it’s like a reminder that painting isn't just about capturing a likeness, it's about creating an experience, an atmosphere, a feeling. And that’s what makes art so damn exciting, the endless possibilities for expression and connection. Artists, after all, are just people having a conversation.