Iwao Akiyama "Cow and Calf" 1978 Limited Edition Print 71/200 · Santoka Haiku
Iwao Akiyama is a Japanese printmaker whose work often depicts animals, figures and everyday scenes in extremely simplified, unpolished forms; his cows and owls are particularly recognizable. His prints frequently incorporate lines by Taneda Santoka, the free-verse haiku poet, so that image and text echo one another. This work takes "Cow and Calf" as its subject. A larger black cow occupies the upper part of the composition, with a calf below. Akiyama makes no attempt at realistic musculature, hair or perspective; instead the forms of the cattle are reduced to near-silhouette outlines. The bold black masses and slightly irregular lines give the animals an endearing, sturdy vitality. The two cattle, one large and one small, are arranged one above the other with no superfluous background, so the eye is drawn naturally to the bond between parent and offspring. This simple composition creates a quiet, warm and gently humorous atmosphere. At the lower right, a line by Santoka and the artist's signature are added, making the work not merely an animal print but one steeped in Japanese literati and haiku culture.
