Four Seasons of Lemon - Winter 1973

Editor: Here we have Funasaka Yoshisuke’s “Four Seasons of Lemon - Winter” from 1973, a print that juxtaposes playful, almost cartoonish lemons with stark, dark vertical lines. I find it strangely melancholic. What do you see in this piece, particularly with its symbolic weight? Curator: I see a potent blend of cultural memory and individual experience. Consider the lemons: universally, they might signify zest and vibrancy, but paired with those somber vertical lines, resembling bare trees, their meaning shifts. Could they be a stubborn holdout of warmth against the encroaching cold? Editor: That's interesting. The way you phrase it, that contrast evokes a kind of tension... is it a common technique to load images with double meanings in order to cause a disruption? Curator: Absolutely. Disruption, juxtaposition - these are tools artists use to force us to reconsider familiar symbols. In Japan, where seasonal changes carry significant cultural weight, representing winter with both barrenness and a hint of summer’s fruit complicates a straightforward narrative. What is “winter” if it includes “lemon?” Does this cause disruption in your personal expectations, also? Editor: Definitely! The lemons disrupt the winter scene, like you said. But is that colourful band on the side a reference to something, as well? It reminds me of springtime growth and abundance... Curator: Precisely! It's a fragmented landscape—a memento of brighter days against the muted palette of winter. The artist layers time itself into the image, reflecting on memory, longing, and the cyclical nature of life. The print invites reflection. What might endure? What will pass? Editor: That's a really fascinating way to look at it – seeing time itself layered within the piece and these small tokens being loaded with the history of culture! I'll certainly think about that when I see other works of art.