Fugitive Vision 束の間の幻影

The impression given by a work of print, particularly in the case of copperplate print, can change greatly depending on the process employed. In this work, which shows a subtle graduation from black to white, various forms loom floating against the black background. These forms appear ephemeral enough to vanish in a blinking of the eye. The aquatint process, which allows adjustment of tone with the degree of corrosion, can be used in creating planes, and it is skillfully employed here to produce the effect the artist has intended. Komai is credited as being one of the artists who have really made copperplate print take root in Japan. He has produced many superior copperplate works using various processes. This early work expresses the aspect of the artist as a dreamer, who has wished “that dreams were real, instead of the reality”, and the forms floating in the air look somewhat like toys and inspire nostalgic feelings. After completing this series of works about dreams, the artist arrived at a turning point in his career and began producing works with sharp lines cut with a burin.