Small Abstract

A small-scale non-representational mokuhanga, this print belongs to Yamaguchi's central body of abstract work, the line of activity that earned him prizes at the Lugano, São Paulo, and Tokyo Biennales between 1950 and 1957. The reduced format compresses his characteristic compositional vocabulary --- broad blocks of color, exposed wood-grain texture, and incised linear marks --- into an intimate field. Smaller abstracts allowed Yamaguchi to test single ideas: a juxtaposition of warm and cool tones, the contrast between a smooth printed area and a roughly carved one, or the rhythmic placement of a few discrete shapes. Like his larger compositions, the work depends on the interplay between the carved cherry block and the absorbent washi, with mineral or oil-based pigments laid down in successive impressions. It represents the chamber-scale end of his abstract practice and reflects the sosaku-hanga commitment to the artist as sole designer, carver, and printer.