Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Ray Yoshida’s work is filled with repeating patterns, mysterious imagery, and comic like imagery. His collage like style and dark color palettes created the enigmatic nature of his works and captivated many, including his students some of whom formed the Chicago Imagists. As a teacher at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Yoshida’s comic like, patterned imagery influenced a number of his students, Jim Nutt, Roger Brown, and Christina Ramberg to name a few, who birthed a new art movement out of his mentorship. Yoshida’s work ranged from what was called “comic collage” to more figural work as portrayed in this piece. While more figural than many of his other pieces, Untitled (Two Figures) remains an enigmatic and cryptic work that could represent many things including personal turmoil, racial/societal tension, or something entirely different. The ambiguous nature of his work allows for a great deal of viewer interaction and interest. This is all aside from the aesthetic excellence of the piece and the seemingly simple but intricate composition.