overall (all four panels together): 36 3/16 in. × 16 ft. 9 1/2 in. (91.9 × 511.8 cm)
far right panel: 36 3/16 in. × 50 in. (91.9 × 127 cm)
middle right panel: 36 3/16 × 50 1/2 in. (91.9 × 128.3 cm)
middle left panel: 36 3/16 × 50 1/2 in. (91.9 × 128.3 cm)
far left panel: 36 3/16 × 50 1/2 in. (91.9 × 128.3 cm)
This painting depicts an expansive landscape splashed in ink across four paper panels. Land, water, and natural features are represented from a high perspective. Reading from right to left, the first panel depicts an open expanse of water; the second panel, an extended isthmus or peninsula. The third features dense hills and mountains ranging beyond the tops and branches of evergreens; the fourth panel shows an opening expanse of water.
The so-called “ink-splash” painting tradition of China and Japan is the most demanding style. It requires faultless technique, crystal-clear conception, and single-minded concentration. These same elements are valued traits of the Zen Buddhist practitioner. Thus, the most accomplished and powerful of the “ink-splashed” paintings are likened to the moment of enlightenment: brilliant, highly personal, and irrefutable.
Araki Minol was an independent artist in the literati tradition of East Asia. He was born in Dairen (Dalian, now part of Lüda, China), a port city in Japanese-occupied Manchuria. Having grown up amidst Japanese, Chinese, and Russian influences, Araki subsequently developed an even more cross-cultural mindset by living in Tokyo, Taipei, and New York.
