Baku 1986

Kazuo Shiraga made this painting, "Baku," with oil paint, and wow, what a wrestling match it must have been. Look at those assertive marks of yellow and black, swirling and clashing across the surface. I imagine Shiraga, maybe with a brush taped to a stick, fully engaged, even submerged in the act of painting. What was he thinking? Maybe about movement, action, maybe pure energy, like a force of nature unleashed. Thick paint, laid on with such physicality – you can almost feel the push and pull, the sheer effort of it all. That swooping black gesture near the bottom, it's like a calligraphic stroke, full of intent, but also wild and untamed. Shiraga was part of the Gutai group in Japan, and you can see that spirit of experimentation and pushing boundaries here. It reminds me a little of some Abstract Expressionist painters, but with its own distinct flavor. It’s like they’re all in conversation, these artists across time and place, feeding off each other’s energy. Painting is an ongoing experiment, a way of thinking with your hands, and this painting feels like a thrilling chapter in that story.