Nieuwe zee der kunsten - 10 Possibly 1903

This is a page from Nieuwe zee der kunsten - 10, made by Furuya Kōrin, sometime between the late 19th, early 20th century. Look at the way Kōrin applies color in clear bands, and how the ocean is made up of this soft blue. I wonder what Kōrin was thinking about when he was making this? You know, sometimes when I’m painting, I think, what am I even doing? Is it the right color? Is it too much? Is it too little? Does it even make sense? But then you have to keep going, right? You have to let it emerge. I can see that in the work of other artists. There’s a real material quality to this work, you can see the layering, the texture. Each mark tells a story, a gesture full of intention. It reminds me of Hokusai, you know, that big wave. I think artists are always in conversation, Kōrin speaks to Hokusai, and Hokusai speaks to us. Painting is a form of expression, a way of seeing, and a way of thinking that embraces ambiguity. There's no single right answer, just a conversation.