Parallax 視差

In the 1960s, when the majority of the artists who brought about radical change to Japanese avant-garde art had not yet reached middle age, Saito was already past sixty and had received many distinguished awards including the Guggenheim National Section Award. Before the war, he created reliefs influenced by Russian Constructivism, but for seventeen years after the war,he concentrated solely on oil works. It was in 1964 that he again turned to reliefs, and this particular work is the memorable first piece that marks his turning point.
The work features two black ovals held together with nails against the background of white plywood. The ovals are ready to expand beyond the edge of the picture. The blue rectangle tries to check the expansion, and the tension creates cracks. Although the elements employed here are geometric, the composition does not make them cozily nestled within the limited space. The irregular and whimsical drill marks and uneven application of color give the work a sense of relaxed humor, which is characteristic of this artist who has also taken interest in Dadaism and Surrealism.