Work 1957

Tsuruko Yamazaki made this painting called ‘Work’, using a rainbow of colors that seem to explode across the canvas, like fireworks frozen in time. It feels like the paint was thrown, dripped, and coaxed into these wild, freeform shapes. Look how the colors bleed into each other; transparent layers building up density. There’s a real physicality here, a sense of the artist’s movement and energy captured in the dried paint. Notice the way a vibrant, almost angry, splatter of red and dark brown anchors the lower center of the piece. It’s like the eye of the storm, drawing all the other colors into its orbit. The contrast between the controlled drips and chaotic splatters is so interesting. Yamazaki's approach reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler, who also let the paint do its thing, embracing chance and spontaneity. Ultimately, this painting invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, to appreciate the beauty in chaos, and to find meaning in the unexpected.