Nieuwe zee der kunsten - 30 Possibly 1905

This book cover, Nieuwe zee der kunsten - 30, was made by Furuya Kōrin at the turn of the century. The limited palette of black, white and brown helps to focus our attention on the balance of elements within the composition, as well as the artist’s touch. I love how the sinuous black lines of the vegetal motif wrap around the rectangular block of text. The contrast creates a dynamic tension, a visual push and pull. The brushstrokes are confident and deliberate, and if you look closely, you can see the way the ink bleeds slightly into the paper, giving the lines a soft, organic feel. The way that Kōrin renders the natural world reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley’s work, in their shared interest for capturing nature through simplified, abstracted form. It’s like a conversation across time, and it reminds us that art is never created in a vacuum. It’s always responding to what came before and anticipating what’s to come.