Sunrise over Mount Goken 1932

Curator: Fujishima Takeji painted this gorgeous piece, Sunrise over Mount Goken, in 1932. Editor: Oh, what a glorious explosion of light! It’s making me feel things, Curator – a serene power, like watching the dawn break over the world for the very first time. The brushstrokes, though, they're like… urgent. Is it the light reflecting, or something else? Curator: Well, he created it with oil on canvas using plein-air techniques. Fujishima studied abroad, exposing him to Western art movements like Impressionism. You can see that influence in his focus on light and color. Editor: Right, those dreamy, hazy colours. Like the colours are their own living entity. I mean, you feel that sunrise, that crisp morning air, that little human standing there watching this amazing spectacle. That painter was breathing! But was he outside painting in situ, like Monet? Or painting from photographs? Tell me it was en plein air because the idea is quite enchanting... Curator: Historical records strongly indicate that Fujishima worked in "plein-air", yes, which certainly emphasizes his commitment to accurately capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. One wonders about his commitment to conveying these ephemeral sensations while also balancing that pursuit with the more formal elements of composition. The materiality of the thick oil paint itself really does convey a powerful tactile dimension to this majestic mountain view. Editor: Tactile is right, like you could reach out and brush it off, right onto your skin! Now I am thinking about labor: the labor involved in painting it, yes, but also in building it. Goken I mean. I see this mountain rising up from all the collective struggles we keep buried within. But sunrise, too - every bloody day of the calendar. The guy sure put the sun back in "Sonntage!" It's like nature and culture locked in a deep embrace... Curator: Interesting idea – and it definitely prompts reflection on labor, geology, culture. Looking at this painting and considering his work as an art educator and painter, his work suggests a dynamic process of integrating tradition and modernity. What lasting impression does it give you? Editor: It leaves me feeling… small but connected. Like my worries are a bit less enormous compared to Mount Goken. The little guy and I - it makes me smile now... Curator: Yes, an optimistic visual that reminds us of the transient qualities that Fujishima committed to the materiality of landscape.