Winter 1959

Ansei Uchima created this print, called Winter, using what looks like a woodblock. The carving gives it a wonderful graphic quality, with bold shapes, and a pared back palette of black, white and grey. What I love about prints is the way you can feel the artist’s hand through the medium. Here, the texture of the wood gives depth to the grey background, while the contrast between the blocky shapes and delicate lines creates a sense of movement, maybe a gust of wind or swirling snow. Note the large black oval on the left, it’s so solid, a real presence in the piece, yet it’s balanced by the lightness of the white spiral on the right. Uchima manages to capture the stark beauty of winter, but also the sense of life continuing beneath the surface, like an Agnes Martin painting with a haiku written on top. Art is like that, a conversation across time and space, full of different voices and perspectives.