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Lot Essay
Yoshitomo Nara painted the work Untitled (Lot 104) is the early 1990s. During this period, the artist experimented with the visual impact of spontaneous brushwork and high saturation colours. The paint drips on the figures and background are complemented by the vibrant hues and textures. Such contrast fills the painting with expressionistic colours. This dynamic composition is benefited by the addition of collage – it will become a staple visual device in the artist's later and more mature works. Nara's collage expresses a sense of brokenness and three-dimensionality.
Untitled does not follow the laws of linear perspective privileged by realism painting. The figure and the animal carriage are compressed into absolute flat planes. This stylistic treatment, on one hand, projects the naivete of children's drawings. On the other hand, it also demonstrates how Japanese artists continue the lineage of traditional painting – in terms of the expression of figures and sense of perspective, they still adhere to the tradition of the subjective angle. In addition, the reduction of details has made the figures, the cars, and the background into a configuration of geometric shapes. The use of this abstract composition technique heightens the sense of subjectivity in the painting.
Untitled does not follow the laws of linear perspective privileged by realism painting. The figure and the animal carriage are compressed into absolute flat planes. This stylistic treatment, on one hand, projects the naivete of children's drawings. On the other hand, it also demonstrates how Japanese artists continue the lineage of traditional painting – in terms of the expression of figures and sense of perspective, they still adhere to the tradition of the subjective angle. In addition, the reduction of details has made the figures, the cars, and the background into a configuration of geometric shapes. The use of this abstract composition technique heightens the sense of subjectivity in the painting.