The Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - Greenhouse 1949

Koshiro Onchi made this print of the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden Greenhouse without a known date, using what looks like woodblock printing. The palette is like faded Kodachrome, all pastel reds and blues, making the garden look like a memory or a dream. The way the plants are stacked up like color blocks reminds me that art is about making, not just seeing. It’s about process. The surface has this handmade feel, with the little bumps and overlaps, a kind of "print grunge" that feels really intimate and human. Look at the way the light comes through the glass, all scratchy and soft. It’s not trying to be perfect, just real. The way he used the grain of the wood gives texture to everything. This piece is an ongoing conversation, and maybe that's why I love art: it's never finished, always open to new ideas and feelings.