Masaaki Yamada, Work B.0., 1957 Oil on Wooden Panel 22.50 x 15.50 cm (8.86 x 6.10 in) $8,000.00
Work B.0. from 1957 is an exemplary piece from Masaaki Yamada's crucial early period, vividly illustrating his transition from figurative representation towards pure abstraction. During this phase, Yamada was deeply engaged in a process of dissecting and reinterpreting traditional subjects like still lifes, meticulously breaking down their forms into essential abstract elements.
In this work, one can discern the remnants of underlying structures—perhaps the planes of a tabletop or the facets of objects—which have been rigorously flattened and reorganized into a complex interplay of geometric and semi-geometric shapes. The palette, while restrained, shows a nascent exploration of how color can define space and volume in the absence of traditional perspective. Work B.0. thus stands as a significant testament to Yamada's systematic and intellectual approach to painting, capturing the moment he began to forge his distinct path towards the repetitive, grid-like abstractions that would become his hallmark, driven by an almost scientific decomposition of visual reality.
