Transposition '82－Ground－Ⅰ (Winter) 転位 ’82－地－Ⅰ（冬）

Nakabayashi's involvement with copperplate print began when he learned its techniques from Tetsuro Komai, as a junior at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Most of his early copperplate works, reflecting the period's trend, communicate social messages. In the late 1970s, however, he started to favor natural motifs, such as flowers, plants, and twigs, in his works. This work is based on a photocopied image of the ground. The surface of the earth, which is reduced to monochrome here, fully retains its feel, and is captured as a tangible presence.
This series includes “Spring,” “Summer,”“Autumn，”and “Winter .”Each work, relatively small in size, features seasonal elements, such as spring flowers or dead autumn leaves scattered on the ground. Together, they make up a set of pictures depicting the four seasons, traditionally favored as "Shiki-e in" Japan. While typical sets of "Shiki-e" portray seasonal changes in large pictures which allow depiction of details, these works of Nakabayashi based on photocopies represent the seasons in a style radically departing from the tradition and uniquely his own.