Mer (Sea)
by Keiko Minami
- Date:
- 1961
- Medium:
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Victoria and Albert Museum
Description
A 1961 print titled "Mer," the French word for sea, evoking the vast and elemental subject that has drawn artists for centuries. Keiko Minami reduces the ocean to its essence: horizon, light, and the undulating surface of water. Her treatment likely strips away narrative detail in favor of tonal gradation and open space, allowing the viewer to project their own memories of coastlines and tides onto the image. The sea as subject suited Minami's aesthetic perfectly, offering a natural counterpart to the emptiness and stillness that define so much of her work.
More Prints by Keiko Minami
More Seascapes Prints
Child of the Sea
1940
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
Pacific Ocean, Awa Province (Boshu Taikai), from the series "Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu)"
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
Pine Beach at Miho (Miho no Matsubara), from the series "Selection of Views of the Tokaido (Tokaido fukei senshu)"
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mer (Sea) was created by Keiko Minami (南桂子) in 1961.
Mer (Sea) depicts seascapes.