Plateau ed.21/25

"Plateau" is a woodblock print by Sawada Tetsuro issued in an edition of 25, with this being impression 21. The title evokes a high, flat expanse of land, a landscape form that carries associations of openness, exposure, and uninterrupted horizon. Japanese plateaus, such as those found in the highlands of Nagano or the volcanic tablelands of Kumamoto, offer dramatically different scenery from the coastal and valley landscapes more commonly depicted in printmaking. Sawada renders this elevated terrain with the economy of means that defines his practice, distilling the plateau's essential qualities of breadth and elevation into a composition that breathes with open space. The small edition size of 25 suggests a particularly labor-intensive printing process, with each impression receiving individual attention to achieve the precise tonal balance the subject demands.