<b>WORK—73—50—A (NOTHING)</b> / Haku Makic. 1973<B>SOLD</B></em>

Details

This composition is inspired by Japanese Zenga calligraphy. The work is composed of a large stylized black form made to suggest the gestural strokes of calligraphy. Though Maki’s own style is angled toward more ridged compositions, due in part to his cement block production techniques, this work certainly showcases the spontaneous flow of Zen calligraphy. Maki’s own treatment of the subject adds texture in relief to the composition’s background which serves to advance the calligraphic form forward in a novel and visually gripping way.

The title of this work, “Nothing”, deepens its connection to Zen by evoking the Zen ideal that Nothing is the underlying reality of life. For Zen adherents, life is transitory and impermeant and all things lack an inherent, independent, self-existence. The concept of Nothingness is also observed as a meditation technique where a practitioner observes and lets go of one’s thoughts and feelings as they pass, as they are rooted in Nothing.

Connoisseur's Note

This large-scale work is one of the artist's most desirable designs. The work displays Maki's signature style with a densely printed pattern in relief in the print’s background. As Maki prints go, his designs that feature bold calligraphic forms have always been the most sought after, and this design is chief among them. This work is known in two variants. The other design is printed in the inverse, where this design is white the other is executed in black and the black portion is white.