The Associate ShowSHINODA Toko October 12-November 9, 2009 |
This year’s Associate Show presents lithographs of Shinoda Toko, who keeps creating great works even after the celebration of her 90th birthday some years ago. She is also a longtime and generous supporter of CWAJ. Shinoda Toko is not only a great lithograph artist, but also a superb essayist. Her literary gems have something in common with her lithographic work, in which lines and forms are fluidly brushed in sumi (Japanese ink), creating an air of dignity and ultimate simplicity. Her exquisite sensitivity and noble demeanor are found both in her literature and art. Visual representation in her lithography simply takes the form of words in her essays; they are both expressions of what her eyes saw and her mind responded. Every one of her words may serve as a beacon to our understanding of her lithographs. Ms. Shinoda turned to lithography in the sixties (60’s). The artist draws a picture on the litho stone in different shades of sumi as if grinding an ink-cake, which is then printed by her expert artisan printer. Finally she adds a brush stroke by hand. Different forms are drawn in various color spectrum of sumi and the finishing stroke may be in gold, silver, green or indigo-blue-gray. Each piece in an edition is thus different, which makes her work even more attractive. You may hear the echo of her mind in the breathtaking final stroke. We hope that each viewer, with his or her unique mind, will enjoy differently the dialogue between the vivid lines and shapes in sumi. |
