Blue on Blue

Blue on Blue, edition 21 of 150 from 2009, is among Kaneko's more formally experimental works, where color itself becomes the primary subject. The monochromatic exploration of blue — the entire value range from deep navy through cobalt to pale sky — recalls both the Japanese tradition of ai (indigo) dyeing and the Western color field painting that Kaneko absorbed as part of his contemporary art education. Two blues in dialogue create spatial depth and chromatic vibration through the subtle relationships between hues.