Vaisravana 1974

Kazuo Shiraga made this painting, Vaisravana, with oil paint, and you can almost feel the energy that went into it. I imagine Shiraga standing over the canvas, maybe even using his feet to move the paint around. There's such physicality to these gestures, like thick ropes of blues, browns, and grays swirling and colliding. You see that one spot where the paint dripped down? It's like a little accident that became part of the whole thing. Shiraga was part of the Gutai group, who were all about action and breaking free from traditional painting. When I look at this painting, I see echoes of Pollock's all-over compositions, but with a totally different vibe. It's a reminder that painting is an ongoing conversation. Artists keep pushing each other, trying new things, and messing around, and that’s how new ways of seeing the world come to life!