Untitled (Totemic Figures) 1950

Joseph Goto made this untitled print, Totemic Figures, in the late 20th century, using ink on paper. It's teeming with detail, a whole world rendered in delicate, spidery lines. Look at the way Goto builds up these forms, layer upon layer of tiny marks. It's almost like he's not just drawing figures, but conjuring them into being through the sheer act of mark-making. The lines are thin and precise, creating a sense of lightness and ethereality. The ink is consistent, a simple monochrome contrasting with the complexity of the forms. There's a sense of obsessive detail, of a mind lost in the act of creation, it makes me think of the work of Adolf Wolfli. For me this piece embodies the idea that art doesn't always need to be big or bold to be powerful; sometimes, it's in the quiet details that we find the most profound expressions of the human spirit. Art is a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists across time.