Courtyard Fountain 1990

This is Hiro Yamagata’s fantasy world, where the fountain pulses like a giant, ecstatic heart, sending spray in all directions. It’s a madcap scene with rainbows, balloons, and a vintage car—a surreal twist on a classical garden, maybe made with acrylic paint. I bet Yamagata was in a playful mood when he made this. You know that feeling when an idea strikes and you just have to go with it? The rainbow is a bold, happy stroke arching from the fountain, and then these balloons are just… floating there. It's a bit bonkers, but it works. I love the layering here, how the foreground and background blur together, and how the light sparkles and dazzles. Yamagata wasn't afraid to mix things up. Just like Bonnard with his indoor/outdoor spaces, it's as if he's asking, what if everything could exist all at once? I think that artists like Yamagata remind us to stay open to the unexpected, to let our imaginations run wild.