Untitled
An imposing triangular shape is the central protagonist of Untitled. However, rather than a rigorous geometric shape, the asymmetry and irregularity of its composition suggest a sculpted, even organic origin of the form, an effect incremented by the textured and gestural treatment of its surface, with a mixed palette of grey tonalities that generates volume. Born in Kyoto in 1913, Ohtake travelled to São Paulo in 1936 to visit her brother and was unable to return to Japan when World War II broke out. In her artistic project, the artist combines geometric abstraction with a certain spiritual orientation. Working in Brazil but informed by the syncretic spiritual experience of Shinto-Buddhism then prevailing in Japan, her work is Western but with Japanese influence. According to the artist, "This influence is seen in the pursuit of synthesis: a few elements must say a lot."
Artwork Details
- Title: Untitled
- Artist: Tomie Ohtake (Brazilian (born Japan), Kyoto 1913–2015 São Paulo)
- Date: 1988
- Medium: Acrylic on canvas
- Dimensions: 59 × 59 in. (149.9 × 149.9 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Claudia Cisneros, 2017
- Object Number: 2017.287
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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