The stylistic diversity of Takao Tanabe is on display in the MMA’s current exhibit, Takao Tanabe: Chronicles of Form and Place. Here you can find non-objective, abstract, and geometric pieces, alongside intricate graphic drawings and high realism.

One particular section of Tanabe’s exhibition has prompted very different and interesting responses from viewers…

In the late 1970s and early 80s, the artist was travelling quite often across the prairies and foothills of western Canada. As someone who enjoys embracing an artistic challenge, Tanabe created a number of large scale graphite drawings inspired by his night time travels across this landscape. Multi-layered, dense, dark, and yet defining, very recognizably, a landscape, these works demonstrate a determination and skill that visitors often comment about.

I’m asked fairly regularly about them and I always take the opportunity to ask how the visitor feels about the works. Surrounded by the six very large, very dark, drawings, visitors tend to respond in one of two ways:

1) they love the subtlety, and the individual way of representing the landscape. They want to take these pieces home with them. I’ve even had someone describe the thick graphite as “warm”.

2) they find them overwhelming. While they appreciate the time and skill that went into the creation of these works, they can’t imagine such a dark and emotionally-charged piece greeting them every morning in their living room.

Compelling, overwhelming, or something else? What do you think about Tanabe’s dark prairie drawings?