Monday Muse - Motonaga Sadamasa

Viewing the work of Japanese artist, Motonaga Sadamasa (1922-2011), my eyes dance across the surface of the canvas. The images do not really do the pieces justice because there is so much texture on the surface, due to the artist's use of gravel, sand, resin, and oil paint. The paintings harken to Abstract Expressionism, but with an undertone of psychedelia from the Sixties. I am so inspired by Sadamasa's seemingly random use of different media, which I know was actually very controlled and applied with care. Some of the areas of the paintings remind me of internal organs or the mixing of bodily fluids. The paintings are both beautiful and grotesque at the same time. There is also something about their simplicity which reminds me of Japanese ink drawings (sumi-e), especially the splashed ink drawings of Sesshū Tōyō. All of the paintings are quite fascinating in their overall impression, as well as the little moments of magic that happen countless times when one zooms in on the way that two colors are juxtaposing one another or how colors have dripped and entangled on the canvas.

I hope you enjoy these selections by Motonaga Sadamasa and that they inspire your Monday