Category — Art

Despite my initial cynicism – begging to tire of the Johnny Depp-Tim Burton-Tim Burton’s wife-tie-up – I have a renewed enthusiasm for Alice In Wonderland, which just hit theaters. Unfortunately, my day-to-day parenting responsibilities will, without a doubt, delay any form of viewing until a DVD release. But this is no reason not to have a little fun.

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When thinking about the film I keep coming back to the work of Midori Araki, a Japanese artist who creates fantastical and whimsical installations and furniture. Some of her stuff looks like it could be seamlessly placed onto the set. In 2007 she created “Spice of a Day” for the popular lifestyle goods chain Afternoon Tea.

I am also a big fan of the fun and creepy “Phantom Light” (2006) which projects unsuspected shadows onto the ceiling.

Stump (2000) was, in Araki’s own words, modeled after mankind’s very first chair. A limited series of 20 chairs were made, each with their own unique inscription. When arranged properly, they complete an entire verse from a poem.

Masahiro Minami takes us on another photo tour of a senior thesis exhibition, this time at Kyoto University of Art and Design. I am constantly amazed, inspired and then puzzled by the level of craftsmanship and creativity I see at these shows. Puzzled as in, where does all this talent disappear to after graduation? Does everyone join a Japanese firm where their innovation is suppressed and then extinguished? Anyway, let us move along to some of my top picks.

This bookshelf is like something right out of Alice in Wonderland.
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Imagine a grey world of washi paper and felt

If home appliances were inhabited by a community of tiny, industrious, architecturally advanced peoples. (I love this series)

What an awesome idea for a housing complex.

Related:

• Kobe Design University thesis exhibition

Tokyo Visualist is a joint collaboration by Satoru Yamashita (+81) and Masako Shinn (Graphis). The book explores the work of 32 “cutting edge” artists and designers through interviews and essays by curators including David Elliot (Mori Art Museum) and Sarah Suzuki (MoMA). It attempts to decipher the current for clues on what lies ahead in the future. Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it but if you are in NY on March 2nd they are having an event at the Japan Society that would be worthwhile.

featured artist Tomoko Konoike

featured artist Hideki Inaba

featured artist Kohei Nawa

A descendant of samurai-era Bizen sword makers-turned-Buddhist priests, Miya Ando, is a Japanese American who resides in Brooklyn (Yay!). She carries on her family’s heritage by primarily working with steel, and with a very minimal aesthetic. Right now she is in Germany, preparing for her first Berlin show at Dam Stuhltrager Gallery (from February 20 to March 20.)

In addition to her series of wall works on 14 gauge mild steel panels, she will be showing Hikari Cube, an interactive piece that was conceived in collaboration with software artist James George.  Designed to look like a steel cube, their sculpture has a hidden motion detector able to ‘hear’ when a person is approaching- which then mimics normal breathing patterns via a light which is transmitted through the cube.

Below is a demo of the Hikari Cube

Hikari Cube from James George on Vimeo.

I wonder what little Huey would think if I replaced all his Tomica (トミカ) die-cast toy vehicles with these pieces of art by Japanese duo Paramodel? I am guessing he wouldn’t be too pleased but I would certainly get a kick out of it.

Each tommy sushi ($270) is an authentic piece of artwork. (Yes, it would be an expensive practical joke.) In the words of the artist, “Fundamental to our artwork is the incorporation of toys we used to play with, and the picturesque sceneries we imagined in childhood. We enjoy combining scraps such as broken pieces of wood or screws left in factories with daily necessities or the toys that we played with as kids.” If you want to learn more about Paramodel, allow me to point you in the direction of this article published back on ’07.

Tama Art University, commonly referred to as Tamabi, is a prestigious art school – the RISD of Tokyo – that has produced several notable artists and designers, including Naoto Fukasawa and Issey Miyake. Therefore, we like to pay attention to some of the young artists being churned out of this educational system. With less than 1 month till the exhibition, Tamabi’s information design department has launched a website showcasing the work of their graduating seniors. The work will be on display at Modapolitica in Minami-Aoyama from March 12th – 14th. Here as some pieces that caught my eye.
* denotes titles translated arbitrarily by the author

“Subterranean Fear*” by Masaya Noguchi
A proposed redesign of sidewalks the recreates the fleeting sense of fear one experiences when something unexpected appears below their feet.

“Oripica” by Shion Suminokura
When was the last time you made origami by folding light?

“Calorie Trade Project” by Yoshie Takahashi
An En-Chari (Entertainment-Chrity) project that allows the user to reallocate their own calories to children in Kenya.

“Multiple Perspectives of the Pacific War*” by Mayu Fujimaki
A computer-based reenactment of events of the Pacific War. The user, as he or she engages with the system, is prompted to view events of the war from multiple perspectives.

Related:

• Tamabi’s BFA show from last year

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If you will indulge me in a walk down memory lane, last year around this time we featured the work of Japanese photographer Kanako Sasaki in conjunction with the Shiseido Art Egg awards. Well, her work is now available at Azito, the online gallery of contemporary Japanese art! Kanako received her MFA in photography from our very own SVA in 2004. Kanako is a storyteller. She photographs herself in sites of historical significance, using history as an alternate landscape.

The 13th TARO Award was just announced yesterday! The annual awards, whose inception took place after Taro Okamoto passed away in 1996, are given to contemporary Japanese artists carving a path for their generation, or as Taro would say, creating “explosive” art. A record 758 entries were received and 22 head-nods later we had 4 winners.
* denotes titles arbitrarily translated by yours truly.

image © kodama gallery. all other images © taro okamoto museum

The first place (the Taro Award) went to Toshihiko Mitsuya for his large-scale work “The Indignant,” which includes  quite a few soldiers sculpted from aluminum foil.

Second Place (the Toshiko Award) went to Makiko Tsuji for her fossilized every-day objects.

There were 2 honorable mentions. One which went to Takahiro Nagasawa for his large-scale print titled “Professional Baseball Report*”. Inspired by Nomura Kantoku, perhaps Japan’s most well-known manager of a baseball team, the work is an example of excessive fandom in which Nagasawa has etched the results of all 9 innings of all 150 games played during the season, onto a 6-meter wide scroll.

The second honorable mention went to Manabu Hasegawa for his sculpture, “Dust Before the Wind*,” which is a Japanese phrases that is suggestive of ephemeral qualities but can also signify imminent danger. I will now stop as any further contemplation will lead too easily to predictable interpretations of male identity.

Catching the wave from my last post I’m going to take the day to post about a few other accessories I’ve been eyeing lately. First up is Frames, a mobile made from hinoki, or Japanese cypress.

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Taking its cue from the work of Alexander Calder, the minimalist/cubist structure uses transparent strings to create the illusion of levitation.  It also presents itself with a 2nd element of joy; the shadows it projects onto a wall. It was designed by Shigeki Fujishiro, who left the design firm IDEE in 2005 to start his own studio.

The mobile debuted in 2008 at an exhibition at Tortoise in LA. They then traveled back to Japan where they resided for 3 months at an exhibition at NACT (National Art Center Tokyo) in early 2009. And finally, after their long pilgrimage, they are available for purchase (36,750 yen) at Scope. You can even watch a small video here if you scroll down towards the bottom.

I realize that “sculptor” may not be the most accurate description of Mitsuru Katsumoto but I dislike the term “multimedia artist” so indulge me in my peculiarities as I attempt to convey my thoughts about the artist. Mitsuru Katsumoto was born 1961 in Shiga Prefecture. Her first exhibition took place at Gallery Eve in 1995 and was aptly titled “Secret Garden.” Since then her work has revolved around the curious and mysterious, often offering sneak peeks into her secretive world of eye-catching details and anachronistic furnishings.

click to enlarge. Courtesy Galleria Graffica Tokyo

clockwise: poster for a field, a home (2007) | living things-flora (2004) | a field, a home (2007)

Katsumoto walks an interesting line between cute and surreal and maintains, I might add, just enough cuteness to remain within the mainstream likings of the Japanese. Furthermore, by including French-Antique charm to the formula she is practically guaranteeing herself a fan-base. That’s not to undermine her work in any way though. There is no doubt in my mind that Katsumoto creates beautiful pieces that keep me coming back to them time after time.

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top: a study in green grass (2002) | all other images part of the “Odd” collection

Her latest exhibition “Odd,” which concluded late last year at the Yukiko Koide gallery, was an ode to some of the more hand-made oddities of her career. I particularly enjoy her vintage postcards – probably the quirkiest of her work.

click to enlarge. Courtesy Mademoiselle Loulou

Finally, here is a sneak peak into 2 of her photo books that she has published. At the top is Study In Green (2008), an intimate exploration into everything from animal fur to boxes, that are, of course, green or dyed green. Below that is One Day (2007), a compilation of Katsumoto’s early work. Both are fascinating meditations on the relationship between art and design.

click to enlarge. Courtesy milebooks