Leaves Entwined in Wood

Maker(s)
Artist: Ikuta Kōji 生田宏司 (Japan, born 1953)
Historical period(s)
Showa era, 1988
Medium
Mezzotint; ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 44.8 x 67.8 cm (17 5/8 x 26 11/16 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1998.212
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Print
Type

Intaglio

Keywords
Japan, Showa era (1926 - 1989)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

After training in Nihonga (traditional Japanese-style painting), Ikuta Koji turned to the Western printmaking techniques of engraving and mezzotint.

In this print, Ikuta reveals his mastery of the mezzotint technique. Images of dead leaves and wood are burnished from the roughened plate, which produces a rich, black tone when printed. Although he has concentrated on images of birds and flowers, often employing colors, Ikuta's earlier mezzotint designs are abstract arrangements that include dead branches and leaves. His ability to express texture and form are highly apparent in these monochrome works.

Collection Area(s)
Contemporary Art, Japanese Art
Web Resources
Whistler's Neighborhood
Google Cultural Institute
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