Japanese artist Toshio Yoshida, among the most experimental members of the Gutai group, artfully investigated the relationship between painting and performance. The concept of “chance” played an important role in his practice. Beginning in the 1950s, Yoshida applied heat to wood panels and poured India ink onto canvas using a watering can ten feet away. In Glenstone’s collection is Sakuhin (56-12) (Work [56-12]), 1956, an example of Yoshida’s series of Brushstroke paintings. In this work, a single spread of thick paint is set against a monochromatic background. For Yoshida, such seemingly simple gestures could register as surprisingly poignant meditations on time, continuity, and presence.

–Elijah Majeski, from the Glenstone Field Guide