Kazuo Shiraga, Sekito, 1979. Estimate €800,000-1,200,000.
Exhibiting an intense dynamism, Sekito is a stunning example of Kazuo Shiraga's radical 'performance paintings'. By placing his works flat on the floor and using his feet to spread thick layers of paint across the surface of the canvas in energetic gestural moves, Shiraga wanted to "paint as though rushing around on a battlefield, exerting" himself "to collapse from exhaustion" (Kazuo Shiraga quoted in: Exh. Cat., New York, McCaffrey Fine Art, Kazuo Shiraga, 2009, p. 59). The uninhibited action allowed the artist to fully immerse himself in the work, merging body with matter in a fluid, explosive, visceral synthesis.
