Winter in Green 1970

Hiroyuki Tajima made this print called 'Winter in Green' in 1970, and you can see that the process of making it is really visible. It's not just about the image, but also about how it was made. Looking at the top half of the piece, there's this incredible layering of greens, like a forest floor or a dense thicket. You can almost feel the texture, the way the ink sits on the paper, with those hints of blue peeking through. It reminds me of how, when you're painting, you're not just applying color, you're building up a surface, a history of marks and decisions. And then, this smooth, dark green, occupying the bottom half, acts as a grounding force for the chaos above. It's like Tajima is reminding us that even in the midst of complexity, there's always a base, a foundation. In the making of the print, he seems to be in conversation with printmakers like Dox Thrash, who embrace the beauty of the medium. Art is about embracing the unexpected.