Pure and Empty 1991

Keido Fukushima made this sumi ink painting, called “Pure and Empty,” with a brush on paper. I can only imagine the physical engagement he had with the surface. The calligraphic gestures make me think about the action of the wrist, shoulder, and body. The artist must have been very physically involved, and their breath, I imagine, was very focused. I wonder if he had a mental picture of what the forms would be? Or if he let the shapes emerge from the movement of his hand? The ink sits so beautifully on the surface, and I love how the brushstrokes vary between thick and thin lines, light and dark tones. The forms have so much presence, like dancing figures that are full of lightness and space. It makes me think about other artists who worked with calligraphy and gesture, like Franz Kline and other abstract expressionist painters. All these artists teach us something about the ongoing practice of artmaking. They are always responding to one another and opening new ways of seeing and feeling.