Koushin-san 1980

Kazuo Shiraga made "Koushin-san" without a specific date using paint, and what strikes me first is the absolute physicality of the thing. It's blue, it's turbulent, and the surface is built up with these thick, sweeping gestures, like he's wrestling with something. You can almost feel the artist's body moving as you look at the painting. The paint isn't just on the canvas; it's like it’s been sculpted there, pushed around with real force. It makes you think about how art is so often about the act of making, the process of struggling with the material to find an image. I can't help but think about other artists, like Joan Mitchell, who also went at painting with this kind of full-bodied energy. It's like they're not just painting what they see but what they feel in their guts. Ultimately, Shiraga's work reminds us that painting doesn't have to be pretty or neat; it can be raw, messy, and full of unresolved feelings.