Birds of the Seasons - Summer 1982

Toshi Yoshida made this print called "Birds of the Seasons - Summer", and what gets me is the way the birds are just *there,* amidst all this summer growth. There is a real attention here to the physicality of the medium, the texture of the woodblock coming through in the leaves and the subtle gradations of color in the birds' feathers. It's not just about representation, it's about the *thingness* of the print itself. It's a little like the way Vuillard used to build up these layers of color that are almost like a film over the surface of the painting. If you look closely at the way Yoshida renders the flowers, you'll see this incredible attention to detail, each petal defined by a delicate line, the whole composition buzzing with life. It's a reminder that art is always an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time and space.