Kadowaki, Motoichi [Roy] (1885-1981) "Country Construction"

An apparently straightforward scene of home construction reveals a more complex, interconnected relationship between humans and the rest of nature. In the left foreground we see the stump of a tree, either downed by windfall or more likely cut down. A remaining tree at right includes another inhabitant of the area, a squirrel, now perhaps displaced; beneath that tree bloom a profusion of shade-loving flowers. What will become of them? At bottom center is a young sapling which, if allowed to flourish will maintain balance. The human and human habitation being built will be a determining factor in the forest’s health.