Volcanic Rocks B 1970

Curator: Hiroyuki Tajima’s “Volcanic Rocks B,” a mixed-media screenprint from 1970. Editor: Immediately, I see a striking duality—two distinct registers, one above the other, both enclosed within rectangles. The lower one seems to vibrate with cool blues against the work's dark background. Curator: The piece emerged during a pivotal era for Japanese printmaking, reflecting postwar anxieties and the search for new visual languages. Abstract art, like this, was often intertwined with sociopolitical commentary. How do you see that reflected here? Editor: The forms resist easy legibility. It could represent landscapes altered by industry, reflecting both destruction and renewal, using repetition and geometry to show change. But that is merely symbolic interpretation layered after my direct viewing experience. What if these are shapes with an internal logic and meaning of their own? Curator: That reading resonates deeply. There's definitely an exploration here beyond aesthetics, questioning the intersection of nature and progress. It speaks to Japan’s rapid industrialization and environmental impact and echoes ongoing discussions around accountability. Editor: And yet, Tajima's use of mixed media and screen printing creates an interesting visual tension. It suggests both mechanical reproduction and an engagement with texture and organic forms, blurring the boundaries between technology and the natural world. I'm curious about your sense of its contribution to ongoing critical conversations about artistic ownership and social responsibility. Curator: Tajima uses abstraction as a method to broaden dialogues about the environment and power structures. He asks us to question the systems at play beneath surfaces, echoing ongoing battles for change. These ideas encourage resistance toward cultural amnesia, providing space for important discussions regarding the legacy of global modernism, neocolonial influence, and its intersectional reverberations that are, unfortunately, still quite active today. Editor: Well, that provides an invigorating view into this complicated and complex creation. Curator: Indeed. There's much to unpack here in how art creates dialogue with larger societal issues, creating an impact across art and activism that moves beyond purely aesthetic considerations.