Flying Horse 1970

Tadashi Nakayama made this print, Flying Horse, and the way he uses color is so striking. The geometric shapes and patterns almost flatten the image into abstraction. For Nakayama, artmaking seems to be a process of balancing these elements, pushing the boundaries between representation and abstraction. The materiality of the print is really interesting. The colors are so vibrant, and the textures are so rich, especially in the body of the horse, you can almost feel the grain of the woodblock. Look closely at the way the different colors and textures interact – the checkered background with the bright colored squares is wonderfully playful. I love how the red shape sits right under the black circle, it gives the illusion of the image falling apart, or coming together. Nakayama’s work reminds me a little bit of Matisse, with its bold colors and simplified forms. Ultimately, Flying Horse invites us to see the world in new and unexpected ways, embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations.