Kitsutsuki Vol.1 - Blue Sky and the Trees 1930

Curator: So evocative! Immediately, I see a stage set…perhaps for a minimalist Noh play? Those repeated cloud forms almost mimic stylized waves. Editor: We’re looking at “Kitsutsuki Vol.1 - Blue Sky and the Trees,” a print made around 1930 by Koshiro Onchi. It presents an interesting dialogue between nature and constructed form. It feels incredibly modern even today. Curator: It does. Those earthy browns contrasting with the crisp blue, it feels both grounding and liberating. And what about those "trees"? More like stylized pickets holding back... what, exactly? The earth, maybe? Editor: Exactly. The repetition of the forms highlights the labor and process embedded in the artwork. These aren’t passively observed trees; they’re intentionally rendered and repeated, part of the material and process the artist used. Curator: It’s funny. You describe labor; I perceive play. Look at the variation in each little cloud and the imperfect printing—the wobble of the picket-fence "trees". Editor: Imperfection becomes incredibly crucial in works like these; we acknowledge the artistic interventions that transform the raw materials—wood blocks and pigments—into something expressive. Onchi worked a lot with ordinary, even found, materials. Curator: I'm wondering about that little patch of geometric pattern at the base. Like some fabric sample from an artisan’s workshop…or, wait, did you say wood blocks? Is the whole piece crafted by repeated impressions from wood? Editor: Yes, exactly. Consider what each layer adds, both visually and materially to create depth in such a seemingly simple design. It’s very complex once we acknowledge these steps. Curator: The material almost vanishes into the vision. In any case, it really invites you into its world, makes you part of the story. It would feel comforting and meditative. Editor: It shows the influence of both traditional techniques and modern thought. Seeing the layers and craft, makes you think about every action the artist made, every choice and decision involved. Curator: Definitely more to it than just sky and trees!