Solitude, Kyoto 1955

Kiyoshi Saito made this block print, called Solitude, Kyoto, sometime in the 20th century. The making of prints is so process-based, like a dance, and Saito’s choreography here is all about flattening. Look at the way the white stones of the path pop against the cool gray of the ground, creating a play of contrast. The green shrubs that bracket the house are like soft, textured pillars, drawn with long vertical marks, soft and yielding like moss. I love how the blacks of the roof and forest in the background form a kind of stage set. There is an appealing tension between depth and surface. The lines are precise, but they come together to create something that feels both intimate and expansive. I am reminded of Milton Avery, who like Saito, used blocks of flat colour to create a feeling of quiet contemplation. In both artists, there is a sense of reduction and simplification which invites us to slow down and really see.