North Wind I 1977

Editor: Here we have "North Wind I," a print from 1977 by Matsumi Kanemitsu. There's an almost icy quality to it. It definitely gives a cold feeling with its dominating blues. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, Kanemitsu! I always feel like I'm peering into a memory with his works – perhaps one of those vivid childhood dreams where the world isn't quite solid. See how the abstract form looms against that gradiated sky? It’s monumental but also ephemeral. What do you suppose that stark triangle is meant to signify within such a fluid shape? Editor: Maybe it’s supposed to give some structure to the “wind” or the form itself. It reminds me of architectural drawings – a contrast between nature and geometry? Curator: Precisely! Or maybe a reminder that even the wildest, most natural forces can be framed, contained by human perception and design. Don’t you think there is a feeling of incompleteness, a reminder of a past event? Editor: It does feel fragmented now that you mention it. It’s funny, before the triangle felt stark but now I notice it is incomplete and fragile, not assertive. It almost feels as though this artwork poses a question, that the triangle adds this intention to the wind itself. Curator: Beautiful! Every time, art shows you a new face depending on who is seeing it and on when, inviting us into a deeper appreciation and understanding. I feel like it brings out what's been stirring within us.