Acrylic on silkscreen and paper

54 x 38 cm. 21 1/4 x 15 in.

Signed in English “S Shimamoto”,titled in Japanese and inscribed “3/30” on lower right
Note：This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Shozo Shimamoto Association.

Shozo Shimamoto
"The first thing to do is to free colour from the paintbrush."
－Shozo Shimamoto
From 1949 to 1952,Shozo Shimamoto”s works reflected the exploration of materials of Gutai Art Association. Shimamoto glued sheets of newspaper together on a wooden frame,with drawing paper on top. Instead of directly painting on the canvas,Shimamoto painted on the paper and the occasional cracks on the paper allowed him to explore the fortuitous nature of art. He created the Holes series. The irregular holes of the pictures reveal the layers underneath,creating a visual shock that is redolent of Lucio Fontana’s cut monochromatic canvas in the same period.
In the second Outdoor Gutai Art Exhibition in 1956,Shimamoto demonstrated a whole new kind of art approach to the world. He shot bottles of paint onto the canvas on the ground,splashing paint and glass pieces on the canvas. Afterwards,the “shooting of bottles” art approach would go on and became part of the painting and public performance. Starting from 2000,he performed “Proof of Peace” at a monument in Japan,becoming the icon of his creations.
Drifting in the Air is created on a double layer of black silkscreen on a piece of white paper. The bluish green at the bottom left corner diffuse gradually,while the shape at the centre of the painting added an interesting element. The artist let pigments of red,yellow and green flow freely on the paper,showcasing the nature of the materials. The artwork also echoes with what Gutai Art Movement advocates,“to break away from the materials and techniques of traditional skills,to look for materials from real life and to present the internal nature of the materials”. The scattering patches of blue reflect Shimamoto’s idea of being “free from the paintbrush”. In 1957,he doubted the hierarchy between the paintbrush and pigments in this article Executing the Paintbrush. He believes,“The first thing to do is to free colour from the paintbrush. If in the process of creating the paintbrush isn’t cast aside,then there is no hope of emancipating the tones. When the painbrush is cast aside,colours become free”. This artwork shows the ideas and skills of the artist,as well as his interests towards the unexpected nature of art. Shimamoto once stated,“The inspiration brings about by the unexpected outcome of painting is stronger and deeper than that of other paintings.”

Price estimate:
HKD：120,000 - 150,000
USD：15,500 - 19,400

Auction Result:
HKD: --