Untitled

Format and scale affect how woodblock compositions are experienced, and this untitled abstract print's proportions would have shaped its compositional logic. Kiyochika worked across several standard formats, and the aspect ratio of a given sheet determines whether the composition organizes itself horizontally, vertically, or around a roughly centered arrangement. Abstract prints allow these compositional dynamics to operate without the orienting function of a represented horizon or figure. The [baren](/glossary/baren) marks left by the printer across the back of the [washi](/glossary/washi) sheet—circular or oval patterns of slight surface texture transferred through the paper during printing—add a secondary layer of physical evidence of the printing process to the completed work.