Artist Statement
Ari Nakamura
‘Excavation-nostalgia7’ 110×100㎝ Installation.2017
(Paper, salt, starch paste, aluminum tape, acrylic, other, *precursor of the torso 1987 of univ. graduation work 'Goddess of Mother Earth' / FRP)
This work is a memory of my half-century, which is derived from my life theme, "Goddess of Mother Earth." Here, I spell out what circumstances I followed, and what led me to this exhibition.
1. As a print artist / conceptual art
In the era when printmaking was on the cutting-edge of fine arts, I learned a new concept of printmaking from 'Ichihara Arinori’. In this "Memory Element" exhibition, I intended to express 'excavation-memories including here and now' by "Frottage," layering my past statue works one after another.
Regarding the structural and visual artistic aspects of the concept, I was influenced by a photographer, Barry Ashworth and his works, a serial photograph and its notes of “Vailing - The erotic eye and the nude.”
The observation of an object from different angles can alter the our perceptions of that object within one and the same sense. A single glimpse suffices to identify a visual impression as flower, but it is only when you have examined the flower from all sides, that you get a complete image of what there is really to be seen. Through experience, our brains automatically complete and fill in the gaps to the slightest hint of a hypothetical image of the whole.
“Herein lies the beauty of these images, a limited number of carefully chosen hints suffices to evoke the illusion that something is present there in its full sensory glory. By not depicting something as a whole and rendering the minutest information suffices to provide the minimal information necessary to evoke the desired impression.”
Mr. Ashworth's photographs and texts gave me the following impression:
I felt an intellectual and unique algorithm from his photographs and essay, and I was amazed to see how straight it had been shown in his works.
The series of “Vailing” seems to reveal Agape, based on some kind of erotic familiarity. The beautiful trimming of the body and the smooth wrinkles of the thin veil along the body highlight the natural beauty and "time," rather than the beauty as a conceptual art. In other words, it is just like the sense of "giving proper temperature and humidity necessary for valuable insect specimens." Through his works, which must be fulfilling his purpose, "from the very first impression, the objects made me feel the reminiscent of something of a different dimension."
Well, considering my existing "type / version," I was wondering if my Torso's trimming can be made like “the series of Vailing” by using a remake of fuselage made with salt, starch paste and Japanese paper. My underlying image is the fragments of rustic bodies from archaeological remains. I like the form of sherds of a large-jar excavated, because it clearly shows that the only strong shapes remain as they are. The outline holds something so familiar, and thus lures me to touch and press my cheek against it.
The process of my production is different from that of “Vailing,” but I thought that philosophy is similar. Keeping an image of the texture of the soil, adhered to a sherd when excavated in mind, I decided to use salt.
In addition, as a hint to the educational field, I wanted to propose a method of fabrication, which is “light-weight, organic and low-cost” and “anyone can make it if wanted," so that I limited the materials for the production to paper, salt, starch, and aluminum tape only.
2. Production site
A Torso produced 30 years ago is still my favorite. It has a swirly pattern similar to "Hayato’s Shield" (隼人の盾). At that time, I felt the charm of symbolism and wanted to incorporate tattoos and scarifications into my sculpture, but all the professors other than Takashi Maruyama criticized me, saying "students do not need a pattern, so you should challenge a simple and straight outline." And then, professor Maruyama became my "Shield,”… such a nostalgic moment… I can still hear him speaking… "What is your persuasive basis of your aim of generating a synergistic effect of a form (foundation solid) and a pattern (meaning / shape)? The foundation, which is the concept and fine verification of the work itself, is the pillars of art; however, the comprehensive result (finished work) is the most important thing as an artist at any time.”
Well, since June 2017, I had moved my hands on the Torso every day, recalling various things in my college days, and writing my mind into sentences at times. The spiking texture is of "salt crystals," which grew up as salt-mixed starch paste sandwiched between six layers of paper solidified. Half visible triangular patterns on the surface of the triangular motif were used to show "sociality and relationship" for their overlapping complexities.
From the moment a statue is made from clay and molded with plaster, the form is gradually shaped little by little until it is completed. There sculptors have a romance that "the shape itself will have its own gravitation by organizing and strengthening the surface tension." On the other hand, my work, (Papier-mache-Frottage), was letting go of the "gravitation of Torso," which obviously present its [existence as a template], slightly and faintly. Those loosening of contours gave me an image of an unleashed "love." – A memory of being raised in the womb of a mother, and born from the mother. The color of the sea is reflected in the important womb of my mother. I wanted to include the preservation of the 8 million species and the cycle of life. –
At the final stage, as a sculptor, I opened up my eyes and listened to it carefully to confirm the delicate contours. This piece is the seventh stature that had finally came to meet the completion.
3. As an artist
I wonder if my work has become “an object that lure people to touch” rather than “a sculpture that is allowed to touch”.
This expression is what professor Maruyama told me 30 years ago, when my idea was innovative.
In the old days, sculptures are objects of worship, and thus it is usually prohibited to touch them.
Considering the fact that he often said, “Isn’t it wonderful to produce a sculpture that is OK to touch!” And as his good student, I thought “it must be better to compose a sculpture that makes people desire to touch even before permission.”
(This art piece is brittle that please do not touch this time, though.)
The production that holds a solid concept and method seemed just like "tightrope walking” to me, and after making many sketches and drawings as a through preparation for the production, I was supposed to have been staggering along the line, aiming a goal since the very beginning. Yet, 30 years of my excavation of nostalgia was too long that I suddenly realized that it was more like "balancing on a ball.” I got off from this unstable "ball" on October 5, when the loading in the museum was over. And… I’m on another "ball" named “Memory Element exhibition.” I will juggle on the “ball” during the exhibition and I'm going to get some clubs for juggling from the audience. For next art work…
Finally, I would recommend to see the pages of Mr. Barry Ashworth. In there, along with beautiful photographs, his interpretations of a semantic exploration of the social conceptions of the human form, is developing into multi-dimensions, as a "feeling element," is discussed. I felt that the spirit of 'wa (和)’, an unique spiritual harmony in Japan which is not influenced by recent social times, is hidden in his works.
17th Oct.2017 Updated
Translation / Emi Fukuzawa
