Rooster and chicken 1900 - 1930

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print of a Rooster and Chicken sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The subtle gradations of color, the way they blend together, make me think about how Koson understood art-making as a process that embraces uncertainty. Look at the rooster's comb, how it's rendered with this soft, diffused red. It's not a bold, declarative statement, but rather a gentle suggestion of color. It almost floats above the rest of the bird. Then there's the hen, whose feathers are a mix of tans, browns and grays. Each individual feather is a testament to patient mark-making. The grey background gives everything this beautiful, misty effect. I'm reminded of Hiroshige, another Japanese printmaker who knew how to make the ordinary look extraordinary. But where Hiroshige captured landscapes, Koson found beauty in the everyday, in the quiet observation of the birds right in front of him. It's a reminder that art can be found anywhere.