Searing Blast
- Date:
- 1993
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Dimensions:
- 66.5 × 41.9 cm
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
Created in 1993, Searing Blast is a woodblock print in ink and color on paper that evokes extreme heat and violent wind. The title suggests a natural force, perhaps a volcanic eruption, a desert sirocco, or the scorching breath of summer at its most intense. Chizuko Yoshida, working in her late career, had long since moved beyond landscape depiction into a realm where natural phenomena serve as metaphors for emotional and psychological states. The searing blast becomes an image of overwhelming intensity, whether joyful or destructive. The woodblock medium, which requires patient carving and careful printing, creates a productive tension with the subject's explosive energy. The heat and violence are contained within the precise boundaries of carved wood and pressed paper.
More Prints by Chizuko Yoshida
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
Woodblock print
The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Searing Blast was created by Chizuko Yoshida (吉田千鶴子) in 1993.
Searing Blast depicts landscapes, seascapes, and abstract.
Searing Blast measures 66.5 × 41.9 cm.