Stepping Stones in Afternoon, Nara Isui-en 1960

"Stepping Stones in Afternoon, Nara Isui-en" is a woodblock print by Unichi Hiratsuka. Look at the way the artist alternates between black and white to describe the stepping stones and the water. It's like the push and pull of art making itself, right? The woodblock technique gives everything this sharp, graphic quality. The black ink is laid down in these solid, velvety planes, but then broken up by these lively white lines. The concentric circles on the stepping stones ripple outwards. This makes the surface vibrate. I love how the artist suggests reflections in the water with these little jabs of white against black. So effective! The longer I look the more I realize the arrangement of the stones leads the eye into the black abyss of the background. Hiratsuka's work reminds me a bit of some of the early German Expressionist woodcuts. But there's a Japanese sensibility here. A quietness and a reverence for nature, maybe? Anyway, it is a reminder that art isn't just about what you see, but about the journey you take while looking.