Beginning of My Creation

My journey began in 1977 with the initial iteration of "Untitled" as part of my collection from the graduation exhibition of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During this period, inspired by Josef Albers' (1888-1976) Interaction of Color that reveals unlimited possibilities of using colors, I started experimenting with my work by separating my use of color from personal preference, and instead focusing on constructing a color system.

Followed by my transformation of the color system, I began to wonder about the possibilities of expressing myself outside of the conventional square canvas. “Stick Painting” was my first prototype that took painting out of its two-dimensional pictorial form toward a sculptural formation. The three-dimensional structure creates a flow to gradually guide the viewer's vision from the center point toward the sides. While dividing the canvas color into black and white on each side, blue and yellow colors rise to the surface and form a fascinating color system. Later “The Wall on Vertical Line” was created based on a square canvas that provides a slightly different visual effect for its viewers.

However, the “Stick Painting” series presented certain visual obstacles that urged me to further explore the possibilities of expression. In 1978, I was able to develop a new design by using the stick merely as structural support and stretch the canvas on top of it. The stick and canvas naturally formed a three-dimensional space that allows the shapes and colors to breathe and dialog with each other. The work "Roof '78 No. One” was created based on my “color system” theory as well as being inspired by Greek vase painting and the French Neo-Impressionist painter Paul Signac (1863-1935).

After countless iterations and failures, I have learned and evolved from these early creations, and they continue to be the foundation of my recent work. 

- Takao Saito (June 28, 2020)