Sakuhin 1964

Sadamasa Motonaga made this painting, Sakuhin, with paint on canvas, and from the looks of it, he really let it flow. I can imagine him in his studio, letting these forms spill and drip, each with its own character. It is the kind of painting that could have only emerged through the act of painting itself, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. The paint is thin in places, almost like watercolor, which creates these beautiful transparent effects as the colors bleed into one another. Then there are these juicy dollops of concentrated colour. What was he thinking when he made it? I can imagine the simple joy of watching colors mix and run, each puddle a little world of its own. It reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler’s soak-stain paintings, yet distinct. Artists are always in conversation, you know? They borrow and riff off each other, each adding their own spin. And it is this exchange that keeps the whole thing alive. Ultimately, painting embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed or definitive readings.