Exhibition Space 4 Vivid Colors
In Exhibition Space 4, we introduce Maekawa’s works of cotton in vivid colors, which is strikingly eye-catching.
There was a time when he forbade himself to use “colors”. It was after 1972, the year of dissolution of “The Gutai Art Association” (or Gutai) which Maekawa belonged to. Around 1975, he tried to spray acrylic paint over burlap, and then to the first half of the 80’s, he reflected on his real origin by challenging “how much I could express with
less paints” and established his own expression with “Hemp cloth” *1.
At the same time, he began to make works on which combined hemp cloth and “Cotton” are inlaid*². Around 1977, he started to color hemp cloth, too. He probably focused on that cotton produced greater colors of paint compared with hemp cloth. In the 90’s, he started to make many works of mainly cotton in vivid colors, which was the new expression that can be called as Maekawa’s third style．
Let’s look at the work of cotton《Work No.171205》made in 2009. A band of indigo blue just like the horizon lies at the bottom of the landscape-oriented screen of 60 centimeters by 240.0 centimeters. From right and left ends of the screen, many pin-tucks*³are thinly sewed and focused on the one point touching the belt of indigo blue waving gently. Colors of the pin-tucks changes from blue to greenish-blue and becomes light blue, which looks like atmosphere floating over the sea. On the upper part of the screen, beautiful gradation of rainbow colors with dazzling white background is applied.
Up to this point, Maekawa colored works by mainly pouring paints*⁴, while for cotton,
he produces euphony of colors by frequently using airbrush which produces an effect of smooth mixed color by spraying paints. Furthermore, his way of spraying is characteristic. For example, when Maekawa makes light blue, he does not spray light blue itself. Instead, he sprays white from the top to a downward direction of the screen, and then spray blue from the bottom to an upward direction. The area where these two colors are overlapped, looks light blue. This procedure makes the color tone become light and soft as if containing air. In addition, by overlapping other colors such as green and indigo blue, more delicate color shades are created. Coloring by airbrush has an effect on expression of pin-tuck lines, too. As mentioned above, taking white and blue as an example, with a boundary made by a convex pin-tuck line, white paint gathered on the upper part becomes highlight. Under the line, blue paint gathered making a shadow of the line darker and stand out, which sharpens an entire screen. The soft texture of cotton makes it available for pin-tucks to draw fine and gentle curves, and these lines coupled with color tones give graceful impression to viewers. This series of works was preferred in public places and it was displayed in the lobby, the entrance hall, and all guest rooms of Hotel Resol Trinity Sapporo in 2008.
Another characteristic of a cotton series is to arouse viewer’s imagination. Work No.171205 was described earlier as “atmosphere floating over the sea”. A girl whom I met at an exhibition hall told me a story as follows in front of this work.
“The front of the work where we are standing is “now”. Here, the point where pin-tuck lines gather is the future. The future is surrounded by rainbow colors. But I have not been able to get here (the future). I’m still in the blue part.”
Maekawa described his works as “Literary ad religious elements do not exist in my works”, “Above all, I must express what I want to express in the language of pure abstraction, a language that uses color, form and matter”*5.
That means Maekawa’s works are not metaphor of stories or something concrete. In other words, we can say that “something that is nothing”. However, “something that is nothing” has a possibility of becoming anything.
Sometimes, viewers try to find “an answer” of a work. The answer can be a theme of a work, or an intention that an artist put into a work, or a narrativity in connection with a work. And the act of trying to find an answer is very important in appreciating art works. However, in Maekawa’s works, such narrativity, corresponding to an answer, is excluded from the beginning. Then, are the impressions of mine and the girl’s mentioned earlier wrong? It is not necessarily appropriate to say so. Rather, we can say that in front of Maekawa’s works existing as pure abstract expression, it is free for viewers what to accept or what to discover from them. When viewers confront his works, things emerged in their mind such as beauty of form or an imaginary story are the answers of the works. Viewers do not have to find the answer which has already been created by someone, but they find the answer from their heart. Until now, Maekawa has continued to develop freedom on his projects *6. When facing the works created under his own style, it can be a rich creative field for viewers, too.
*1. Please refer to #2-2 (Exhibition Space 2) commentary
*2. The technique that one material is mounted on a different material, often seen in metals and ceramic ware.
*3. The decoration technique in sewing made by tucked seam. A narrow tuck like a pin.
*4. The painting technique. Drawn by pouring liquid paint on a support medium such as a canvas spread on the floor.
*5. An excerpt from the article written for this exhibition. “Why do I create Paintings” Tsuyoshi Maekawa
*6. Please refer to #3-2(Exhibition Space 3) commentary
Next is #5 Exhibition Space 5
Maekawa has continued to develop new methods one after another, other than a series of burlap, hemp cloth and cotton introduced until now, we are going to introduce his experimental works next.
TSUYOSHI MAEKAWA: “Dongoros”is animated by Maekawa.Maekawa expresses through the pure abstraction of colors, forms, and materials showing as they really are.
Period: February 8(sat)-June 28(sun), 2020.
July 4th (Sat)~ The extended session has been closed on October 4.
○ Further information about the exhibition
Here