Pond of Night 1957

Jun’ichiro Sekino made "Pond of Night" in 1957, most likely using woodblock printmaking. Can you imagine the artist working with chisels and gouges, carving into a block of wood? I know when I am working, there's this push-and-pull, trial and error, especially with printmaking techniques. Look at the dark hues, they are almost black, that define the pond in the foreground, and the cooler tones in the architecture, which create an otherworldly atmosphere. The light filtering through the windows feels so intimate. Sekino invites us to contemplate the intersection of the natural and the built environment. This piece makes me think of other printmakers like Utamaro and Hokusai, who captured ephemeral beauty, but Sekino’s contemporary style sets it apart. Artists are always in dialogue with one another, across time and space, borrowing, challenging, and remixing ideas. Painting and printmaking are forms of embodied expression. They thrive on ambiguity and leave room for many interpretations.