Rappa-Shu (Trumpeter) XII 1959

Tadashi Nakayama made Rappa-Shu (Trumpeter) XII, with lithography, a printmaking technique that involves drawing on a stone or metal plate with a greasy substance and then applying ink to transfer the image to paper. The dominant palette of blacks, greens, and oranges creates a dynamic tension, a sort of visual call-and-response. I can imagine Nakayama working on this, maybe listening to some cool jazz, letting the forms emerge from the process. The textures in this piece remind me of the grit and graininess you get when you're really working the materials. Those squiggly lines and scattered dots feel like a visual language all their own, like he’s trying to capture something fleeting, maybe the sound of a trumpet. Nakayama had a lifelong interest in horses and nature, maybe these biomorphic shapes and patterns resonate with that. It also has echoes of other artists from that time, like Joan Miró, who were exploring similar territories of abstraction and symbolism. These echoes and influences show how artists keep the conversation alive, inspiring each other to see and feel in new ways. This piece is an open invitation to interpret and connect.