Les Arbres

Kaiko Moti

In this color aquatint, the painterly quality that Kaiko Moti became known for is clearly evident in the soft, brush-like textures and the sensitive blending of color. His foray into printmaking in the early 1950s was informed by classical training in painting and drawing, which carried over into the intaglio processes he discovered in 1952 at Atelier 17 in Paris.

Moti would prove to be a pioneer of the metal plate printmaking medium, coaxing delicate, complex imagery from the plate in a way that most 20th century printmakers had not. Though his peers were primarily interested in the uncharted territory of Abstract Expressionism, Moti was inspired by Old Master and Romantic artists that he was first introduced to in his early years at the Bombay School of Fine Arts. He was especially drawn to the tonality and atmospheric nature of landscapes, and how the mood changed with the light. In "Les Arbres" he captures a misty morning light filtering through trees, standing watch over a quiet, low-lying meadow.