ARTIST:
TITLE: Division-work No. 52 "Woman"
MEDIUM: Mezzotint
SIZE: 60*36cm
EDITION: 50
COMPLETED: 1995
Framed: yes
'Woman' is one of Hamanishi's 'Division Series' produced between 1986-1995. The earlier works (1986-1989) were produced at a time when he was very influenced by the movements current in New York at the time as he was on an exchange fellowship lecturing in America. The minimalism of Barnett Newman features strongly. Instead of the simple line or brush stroke he has cleverly used the flexibility of rope or twine for the line and the branch is like the textured brushstroke. The shape he has created evokes the image of pregnancy with the most subtle shifts in tone between the silky untouched surrounding blackness and the beautiful warm jewel like red within the oval created by the rope and the branch. Other works in this series follow Newman's minimalism. Embedded in these elements is the Japanese love of natural materials.