Timeless Spring 2011

Kazuaki Tanahashi made this painting called 'Timeless Spring' with bright strokes that loop around and around. The colours, like pink, green and gold, sit side-by-side, each stroke distinct like a dance of the hand. The paint is thin in some spots and thick in others, so you can feel the way the brush moved. It is very direct and present. The circle isn’t closed, you can see that the artist makes a choice to leave a space open. It’s a gesture, almost like the circle is breathing, in and out. This empty space in the middle is everything and nothing. This reminds me of Cy Twombly, another artist who understood how scribbles and marks could say more than words. 'Timeless Spring' isn’t about one fixed idea, but about the simple joy of seeing colours blend and the endless possibilities of a single brushstroke.