Steady Gaze 1960

Kiyoshi Saito made this woodblock print, Steady Gaze, in 1960 using a reductive approach and a restricted palette. The green here is almost olive, against the strong black which creates these graphic divisions and stark contrasts. There’s a real tension between the face as a mask, and the eye as a window. That direct, unfussy gaze really holds your attention. I’m struck by the way the wood grain itself becomes a textural element in the hair, a kind of layered mark-making with the grain, carving, and printing all doing their thing. It’s a reminder that artmaking is often about embracing accidents, and finding beauty in the unpredictable nature of materials. I’m reminded a little bit of Gauguin, who was interested in woodcut prints, and flattened planes of color, but Saito brings his own distinct sensibility to the medium. There’s an almost naive quality, but a deliberate, sophisticated handling of the graphic elements. It’s a beautiful piece that invites us to look, think, and feel.