Kikuo Saito is associated with the Color Field and Lyrical abstraction movements in painting but explored a variety of mediums, notably theater and dance. While working at LaMaMa Experimental Theater Company in New York, Saito combined dance, lighting and music into unique productions that he would also direct on occasion. Throughout this wide range of artistic channels, his minimalist aesthetic remained steadfast. Saito’s paintings carry a strong sense of rhythm and movement, reflecting his background in performing arts.
Five Pines, 1981, exemplifies this defining duality of Saito’s oeuvre. Bold brushstrokes and thick impasto contrast sharply with areas of the canvas left untouched. This sense of topographic imbalance emits a brisk cadence that speaks to the reciprocity between his disciplines. The lilting texture of the work and basic forms of the composition serve to highlight the distinct primary color scheme.
Most of the canvas is covered by heavy swirling layers of maroon. The intensity of Saito’s impasto technique is offset by the bright yellow and deep blue areas to the right. These, along with the sudden dashes of green, brown and gray that dance around work, epitomize the abrupt color schemes Saito became known for.
The seemingly polar relationship between the collaborative, communal nature of theater and the solitary practice of painting is quelled in Saito’s work. However, his art can also be looked at as an exploration of his experience learning English. The fleeting lines and indistinct forms read as text abstracted beyond comprehension.i By refracting language, theater and painting through his unique minimalist lens, Saito occupies a distinct intersection of art.