Work 1973

Tsuruko Yamazaki made this abstract painting, titled "Work", using oil paint and industrial enamel on a board. This dynamic composition, with its assertive brushstrokes and bold color choices, engages with the spirit of post-war artistic experimentation. Painted in Japan, we can consider how "Work" reflects the socio-political landscape of its time. Following World War II, Japan experienced a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Yamazaki's use of industrial enamel, typically used for practical purposes, could be seen as a commentary on the changing relationship between art and industry. Furthermore, the gestural abstraction aligns with an international movement towards expressing individual freedom and creativity in the face of social change. Yamazaki was a key figure in the Gutai Art Association, a radical, avant-garde group of Japanese artists working in the 1950s and 1960s. Gutai was a reaction against traditional art forms, embracing new materials and techniques. To understand "Work" fully, resources such as artist biographies, historical texts about the Gutai movement, and critical analyses of post-war Japanese art can be consulted. These resources can give the viewer a greater appreciation of how the artist and the socio-cultural conditions of the time have shaped the meaning and significance of this artwork.