Stone Garden, Kyoto 1955

Kiyoshi Saito made this print called Stone Garden, Kyoto, sometime in the last century, I think, using woodblocks. The textures are really striking, aren't they? I love how the gray band at the top has this gritty, almost sparkly quality, while the black area below is solid and matte. Look at how Saito uses simple shapes to suggest these rocks and their shadows. It's like he's distilled the essence of a Japanese garden into a few essential elements. There's something so calming and contemplative about this print, but I also think Saito makes the process visible. This isn't just a picture of a garden; it's a record of the artist's hand, of the way he carefully carved and printed each block. It reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin, in the way she used simple forms and repetition to create these meditative spaces. It's this ongoing conversation between artists, you know, building on each other's ideas, finding new ways to see the world.