Poromu No. 2

Artist/Culture Hiroyuki, Tajima (Japanese, 1911–1984)

Date1969

Mediumwoodblock print; oil- and water-based pigments on paper

Dimensionssheet: 54.6 × 41.4 cm (21 1/2 × 16 5/16 in.)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineGift of the Helen and Felix Juda Foundation

Terms

Object number1969.117

Label Text2004-08-06: TAJIMA, Hiroyuki (1911-84) Poromu No.2 1969 Ed. 3/50 Signed in pencil in the lower margin Hiroyuki Tajima Woodblock print, oil- and water-pigments on paper Gift of the Helen and Felix Juda Foundation, 1969.117 Tajima Hiroyuki joined the Fine Art and Culture Association in 1946, working to revive abstract and surrealist painting that had been suppressed in Japan during WWII. Successfully infusing his understanding of traditional Japanese aesthetics and belief in Zen Buddhism into his works, Tajima became one of Japan's greatest exponents of abstract expressionism in the 1960s and 70s. Tajima's prints are characteristically endowed with a mysterious, near fluorescent glow that seems to emerge from within the print. To achieve this effect, he used rich oil- and thin water-based colors in a highly expressive way. Here, light blue and yellow seemingly shine through small craters and through a thin layer of reddish-brown encircled by a bright blue ring. The print gains added mystery by Tajima's use of incised and textured blocks; in this case, the relief was probably built up with glue, sand and paper.ProvenanceThe Helen and Felix Juda Foundation

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