Flood
- Date:
- 1966
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Dimensions:
- 19.7 × 15.2 cm
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
A 1966 woodblock print in ink and color on paper depicting the destructive power of floodwater. The subject carries particular weight in Japan, where seasonal typhoons and heavy rains regularly cause devastating inundation along river valleys and coastal plains. Takahashi translates the chaos of flooding into the controlled medium of woodblock printing, using the contrast between the precision of carved blocks and the turbulence of the subject to create formal tension. The print likely employs fluid, sweeping forms and saturated color to convey the overwhelming force of water breaching its boundaries. Created during a decade when Japan was experiencing rapid postwar development, the work may also speak to the collision between human engineering and natural forces.
More Prints by Takahashi Rikio
More Landscapes Prints
Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)
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
Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flood was created by Takahashi Rikio (高橋力雄) in 1966.
Flood depicts landscapes and rivers & lakes.
Flood measures 19.7 × 15.2 cm.