Calm 1926

Fujishima Takeji made 'Calm' with oil paint, and you can almost see the making of it, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I can sympathize with Takeji, imagining what it might have been like to create this painting. What was he thinking when he made it? What was the weather like? Was it cold? The paint is relatively thin, allowing the artist to create soft tonal shifts. I love the gestures here - the twin rainbows like the ghosts of rainbows past - the gentle lapping of waves, and those two little boats, which look like two little commas sitting on the surface of the water. Each gesture communicates feeling and intention. It seems like they are moving, but very slowly! This piece relates to the work of many painters past and present - we are all in an ongoing conversation, inspiring one another’s creativity. Painting is a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty and allowing for multiple interpretations.