17 oil painted views of the J.R. Line, Tokyo
The 17 watercolor views were developed later in oil in my New York studio, from painting number 1, Tokyo Station, to painting 17, the end of Shimbashi.
According to French writer Pierre Ménard: Un étonnant travail pictural
Each view is placed in the middle of a map that shows its location along the railroad tracks. With each new view, the map slowly drifts towards the South. I repeated each map, redoing the same calligraphy over and over. The calligraphy style changed, following the learning process and the brushes degradation.
The painting of the views itself evolved. The first ones are closer to the style of the watercolors. Gradually with a different use of oil glazes, the later ones play more with the light and the atmospheric perspective.
They are presented like Japanese kakemonos with wooden bars inserted in the sewn top and bottom.
They have been later developed in 3D, 17 views in cut outs…