ZZZZZ 1971

Sadamasa Motonaga made this painting, titled ZZZZZ, with synthetic polymer paint on canvas. The colors in this piece are so juicy and soft. Look at how the edges of the shapes almost melt into each other, creating a dreamy, hazy effect. It’s like looking at a cloud formation, trying to make sense of these abstract shapes. The texture is smooth, almost like the paint has been airbrushed onto the canvas, though it is unlikely. It's really hard to tell how Motonaga applied the paint. There's this mysterious quality to the surface that I find so intriguing. The way the colours fade into one another makes me think of Rothko, but the shapes are more playful. Maybe it is the title that makes it so, but I think of it as a really cool dreamscape, full of weird floating objects and otherworldly light. It feels like anything is possible in this painting.