Mt. Holly Cross 1966

This scene of Mount Holy Cross was carved and printed by Toshi Yoshida. Just imagine the artist in front of this mountain landscape, taking it all in. With a limited colour palette, Yoshida makes such a compelling natural world. The composition feels like a stage set, complete with backdrop and performers. I can imagine Yoshida trying to capture a vast scene within the limitations of his chosen medium. There's such a lovely layering effect achieved from using thin washes of colour, one laid on top of another. Those dark evergreen trees that stand up so straight and tall give the picture its structure. It makes me think of Cezanne and his structural landscapes, each tree a geometric form, reaching to the sky. Artists are always looking at the world, and each other, finding new ways to translate what they see through their hands and into a new way of seeing.