PROVENANCE
A Distinguished Private Collection, Ontario

LITERATURE
John G. Hatch, Kazuo Nakamura: Life & Work, Art Canada Institute, 2021, page 84

Kazuo Nakamura produced one of the most consistently original bodies of work of his generation. Constantly moving between abstraction and figuration, Nakamura’s practice was informed by a lifelong quest to find meaning in the underlying order of nature, setting him apart from his contemporaries in the Painters Eleven group.

By 1960, Nakamura was at the height of his artistic career. It was during this period that he started to paint his iconic blue/green landscapes. He would continue to revisit this theme throughout the remainder of his career, even when his work moved away from figuration. Art historian John G. Hatch writes: “It is doubtful that Nakamura ever considered himself a landscape artist. He painted landscapes, but his purpose was never to represent the visible world. His goals were loftier. Every scene—whether tree, lake, mountain, or a mix—was an opportunity to experiment with a new way of seeing, to transcend the surface and find a new way to understand the structure that lay beneath.”

Lake Landscape mesmerizes with its serene composition, inviting viewers into a world where the boundaries between reality and abstraction blur effortlessly. The lake’s calm expanse is rendered in a palette dominated by shades of green and white, evoking a sense of harmony and tranquility. Nakamura’s short, quick brushwork dances across the canvas, capturing the ephemeral quality of light as it caresses the surface of the water. The allure of Nakamura’s Lake Landscape lies in its tranquil composition, with a compelling fusion of reality and abstraction that captivates the observer.

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