Grayscale print of two figures in black dresses pushing two bears, one with light fur and one with dark fur, from behind. Above them is an enlarged bear paw.

Mie Yoshinaga

Barely There

Maker

Mie Yoshinaga (Japanese, b. 1979 in Japan)

Title

Barely There

Year

2007

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

ink

Supports

Dimensions

56.5 x 78.1 cm (22 1/4 x 30 3/4 inches) (sheet)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Numbered, titled, signed and dated below image

Identification

Edition

8/15

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Paula and Leonard Granoff

Object Number

2007.102

Type

Exhibition History

On Paper
Gifts from Paula and Leonard Granoff
Oct 29, 2022 – Apr 16, 2023

Label copy

Mie Yoshinaga’s loose, delicate linework creates a certain tension in this portrayal of two figures—both self-portraits of the artist—pushing two bears from behind. This scene becomes a humorous metaphor for the frustration of human struggles. The residual marks in the image result from Yoshinaga’s reuse of old copper plates. She stated, “I am honoring the presence and absence of partially erased projects, the light and shadow of information the plate holds, the silence and noise within the marks, the time and memory of its creation, and the gravity and weightlessness of the imagery itself.”

–Grace Xiao, Mellon Summer Intern, 2022; Brown BA 2024

Image use

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In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Mie Yoshinaga (Japanese, b. 1979 in Japan)
Barely There, 2007
Drypoint and roulette on paper
56.5 x 78.1 cm (22 1/4 x 30 3/4 inches) (sheet)
Gift of Paula and Leonard Granoff 2007.102

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