Dancing Figure (Kamuro) 1960

Kaoru Kawano made this print, Dancing Figure, and the process of woodblock printing is fascinating. Can you imagine the artist carving into the wood, removing material to create the lines and shapes of the image? I wonder what Kawano was thinking as they worked on this piece. The figure is so striking. It is like a dance or some sort of performance, a gesture caught in time. I wonder about the way the red kimono stands out against the darker background. Kawano probably printed multiple layers of color onto the paper to build up the image, and I imagine each layer had to be carefully aligned. Look at the way the figure's weight seems to shift! You feel the movement and the texture of the wood grain in the print adds a tactile quality to the image. I think Kawano was in conversation with other artists and cultural traditions of their time. They were probably inspired by the work of others and also pushing the boundaries of what was possible. It's like they are having a conversation with us now.