Frogs 1978

Ding Yanyong made "Frogs" with ink, and it's a lesson in seeing how much can be done with so little. Look how he builds the image through deceptively simple marks. The piece is dominated by these swooping lines of ink, arching across the picture plane like reeds, or grasses. And then you have the frogs themselves, rendered with quick, wet brushstrokes, almost like calligraphy. The ink is thin, almost transparent, and applied in layers to build up the forms. Notice the one leaping at the top, and how the whole composition balances these darting movements with the static, pooling mass of frogs below. What I love about this piece is how it embraces ambiguity. It’s about capturing the essence of movement and form, rather than aiming for a literal depiction. It reminds me of Guston’s late work, where simple forms are charged with so much energy and emotion. It feels very immediate, like a fleeting glimpse into a hidden world.