In creating his latest painting Crush (2016), Gajin Fujita referenced Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s woodblock print “Sagami Jiro and Taira no Masakado Attacking an Opponent on Horseback,” 1883 December 7. Fujita was drawn to the movement and energy Yoshitoshi achieved in this composition, and chose to focus on the central portion of the work to construct a “scroll-like” vertical panel.
He reimagined the figures to represent the rivalry between Southern and Northern California: “LA” and “SF” are attributed on their respective gloves. Fujita, a Los Angeles native, assigned “Los Angeles” to the victorious samurai, pictured atop slaying his “San Francisco” counterpart to defeat.
The logo for the soda drink “Crush” is featured at the base. Fujita had finished and signed the work prior to this inclusion, which is why it appears over his chop block signature in the lower right. He sought to further contemporize the historic imagery and found inspiration in Lichtenstein’s use of pop references when adding this final touch.
“Crush,” an orange flavored soda, was a deliberate choice, as the orange fruit is a well established crop in California. It is often synonymous with the Golden State, particularly Southern California’s mild temperate weather, conditions in which the fruit flourishes.
A new technique that Gajin utilized in this particular work, is the introduction of transparent spray paint. Formulated with less pigment, and in a lower pressurized can, the resulting application is much lighter and less dense that normal spray paint. The tags in the background (by Prime from K2S and Skan of KGB) were done with this new paint, receding the texts further into the background to achieve a greater sense of depth. He also used the paint to apply shadows to the horse’s mane, creating a billowing texture with painterly effect.
Gajin Fujita will be included in a group exhibition at L.A. Louver, slated for later this year. Keep posted for more details! In the meantime, visit our website to see more works by the artist.
IMAGE: Gajin Fujita, Crush, 2016, spraypaint, meanstreak, paint markers, 12k & 24k, gold leaf on wood panel, 88 x 22 in. (223.5 x 55.9 cm)