Juni 1905 Possibly 1905 - 1910

Asai Chû made this small woodblock print, Juni 1905, and it just makes me smile. The ochre background, cut with thin white lines, evokes a sense of both water and paper, like a page from a graphic novel. Then you have these three frogs. The bold, silhouetted forms are really playful, making this image so appealing. It’s hard to tell what kind of tools Asai used to cut the woodblocks, but I can imagine the process being very physical and intuitive, like a dance between the artist and the material. Take a look at the frog at the top. The sharp angles of its limbs create a sense of tension and movement, as if it’s about to leap out of the water. The other frogs are also great, like dancers with their spindly limbs. I like how Asai's work reminds me of the prints of Félix Vallotton, where flatness and pattern come together. Ultimately, the meaning of this image is open to interpretation and that is why it is so much fun.