Geometry: To measure or survey the earth. A branch of mathematics that deals with the measurement, properties and relationships of points, lines, angles, surfaces and solids.
I decided that from these definition, to figuratively talk about the emptiness and its outer limits. The possibilities of connection and/or communication therein. Self-confinement and solitude. Intolerance.
My work is a product of my constant preoccupation about the quality of our lives. A continuous analysis and search of confrontation – questioning.
Therefore, in my work one should be able to see the structure, shape, feel the materials, and most importantly, the reason behind it.
A work that occupies at the same time a space and another more subjective one.
The analysis should not stop at the level of the elements that constitute my work, but should further try to see, or feel what links keep it together.
Those links give the various elements their true meaning, their reason to be and why they occupy such space in that order… and how they change in the mind of the viewer, thus becoming a silent accomplice of the artist.
Geometry: To measure or survey the earth. A branch of mathematics that deals with the measurement, properties and relationships of points, lines, angles, surfaces and solids.
I decided that from these definition, to figuratively talk about the emptiness and its outer limits. The possibilities of connection and/or communication therein. Self-confinement and solitude. Intolerance.
My work is a product of my constant preoccupation about the quality of our lives. A continuous analysis and search of confrontation – questioning.
Therefore, in my work one should be able to see the structure, shape, feel the materials, and most importantly, the reason behind it.
A work that occupies at the same time a space and another more subjective one.
The analysis should not stop at the level of the elements that constitute my work, but should further try to see, or feel what links keep it together.
Those links give the various elements their true meaning, their reason to be and why they occupy such space in that order… and how they change in the mind of the viewer, thus becoming a silent accomplice of the artist.
I used to think, in my childhood, if the wonder and beauty of flowers I see is the same as the one my playmate sees. Though I regard their color as ‘yellow’ and so does she, can our ‘yellow’ be the same?
When you see an object, you see not only it itself, but also some experience and memory which you picture to yourself by seeing it. If the brightness you see is different from one I see, and if so, are the views, the climate and the smells you have seen and sensed also different? This work of mine you’re looking at may be different from the way I see it.
But such a difference can make our lives more complicated and richer and reveal who we are.
Do they arise out of a chaotic flux of sensations and mental images? Are there some rules or a deep structure underlying this apparent chaos? Is the Right Brain, more intuitive part, more closely related to the unconscious (if there is such a thing) than the Left, logical, verbal part of the brain? My painting suggests these questions to me. I wonder how the part of me that knows is related to the part of me that doesn’t know what it knows.
In making this box for Women Beyond Borders I am reminded of that wonderfully curious woman, Pandora, who for centuries has been, to my way of thinking, erroneously blamed for all evils on earth. I discovered there’s another version of the story, and it goes like this:
The box which she opened contained everything that was good, and when, (against her husband’s advice) she raised the lid, ALL THAT WAS GOOD escaped out into the world. I like this story and think it’s a fine metaphor for the creative, open-minded nature of womankind.
The critical point that reflects
and fuses inanimate sensitivity
with nature’s understanding.
The differentiated shadow of dreams.
The resonation of conception.
The shearing of thought.
Spiritual Evolution.
Inspirations more archaeological than literary.
To me, a basic unchanging form is the most beautiful, no matter what period of art you are examining. For any material or event there exists a basic framework. Within this basic frame, there exists a core which comes through the work of art above all else.
I use many materials, but I especially like to use materials with soul in them. I then strive to create a work in which the essence of the materials shows through. I would like to create artwork with a central form of happiness, pain, or sadness.
When I set out to create something I try to draw in the season and the place I find myself.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter – I like things that evoke the seasons. I have packed a little box with memories – marine blue skies, turquoise seas, white corals, green jungles, so that the fragrance of summer can tickle your nostrils too!
I am attracted to the fine color of the dawn, sunbeams flickering through the leaves, broad colorful sunsets, stars shining in the sky…the mysterious harmony of all these things, so this is what I try to make.
I love both light and darkness, and wish to celebrate the splendid harmony of their meeting. I hope opening this ‘box’ will lead you to see the harmony of light and darkness… and the meeting of you and me, or anyone.
Women Taiko drummers at the Akino Fuku ceremonial opening
Akino Fuku Museum
Tenyru, Japan
April 17 – May 30, 1999
Tamotsu Asano, Director of the Akino Fuku Museum
Yoshihiro Ikka, Curator of the Akino Fuku Museum
Shoko Toma, Independant Curator, Coordinator
Lesley Tannahill and Toshiyasu Ohi, Contacts
Gallery One, Park Tower
Tokyo, Japan
June 4 – 27, 1999
Nobuhiro Sato, Artistic Director
Shoko Toma, Independent Curator and Coordinator
THE FORTRESS MUSEUM
The Women Beyond Borders exhibition at the Akino Fuku Museum opened in Tenryu on April 16th with a fanfare of women Taiko drummers resounding an ancient and powerful cadence amidst cedar forests and blue skies above the Tenryu river. The fortress-like museum offered a powerful backdrop for the boxes from around the world. In addition to the permanent exhibition of works by the master artist Akino Fuku, several special and planned exhibitions are held at the museum throughout the year. For more information about the Akino Fuku Museum, click here.
Shoko Toma, Lorraine Serena, and Yoshihiro Ikka
At the opening, we met Japanese participants and Yony Waite, WBB artist, and curator from Kenya. The Mayor of Tenryu, the Director of Education, Director of the Akino Fuku Museum, and many other dignitaries gave formal speeches, which embraced a depth of understanding and appreciation of WBB and beyond to the power of the mythical significance of the box in a land which comprehends and reveres such things in daily life.
Artists, officials, men and women from the nearby towns gathered after the opening at a lakeside Ryokan for a traditional banquet of delicacies, joyful conversation, more speeches, rituals and singing into the night led by Yoni Waite. Yoni surprisingly spent many years in Japan and spoke the language fluently!
A PIECE OF A SMALL WOODEN BOX
Women Beyond Borders Japan Catalog
Yoshihiro Ikka, Curator of the Akino Fuku Museum – JAPAN
On this occasion of the opening of the Women Beyond Borders Exhibition, I would like to share some of my thoughts with you. First, I heard that the women of the world had joined hands and created artistic works using small wooden boxes and that an exhibition of these works was on tour throughout the world. Tenryu is a sylvan city and has declared itself a city of trees. This city has a museum of the arts which has a permanent exhibition of the works of a famous Japanese woman artist, Akino Fuku. Thus, the city was ideally suited to hold such an exhibition. The museum has become known to a certain degree as a museum specializing in Japanese style art. However, I feel it is the work of the museum to help develop an appreciation of all kinds of art, widely defined. Therefore, I would like to see the museum hold exhibitions of Japanese art, oil paintings, contemporary art and other styles of art as well. However, I wondered whether a small art museum in a regional area could successfully generate a wide acceptance and understanding of contemporary art such as the WBB exhibition.
The opening ceremony of the Akino Fuku WBB Exhibition
As the opening of the exhibit approached, my worries on this point grew. I wondered why it had to be an exhibition involving only the works of women artists. Why couldn’t it be an exhibition of the works of both male and female artists, I wondered. At that point, I decided that it was time to study the situation more closely. Thus, early this year, I went to the United States with Ms. Shoko Toma (the Japanese Representative for the Women Beyond Borders Exhibition) to visit Lorraine Serena in Santa Barbara, California.
During our visit, her atelier was filled with women who supported WBB. It was as if a great female power was focused on that peaceful town and I was stunned by the way they collaborated to support the project and make it a success. Behind the scenes, their friends and family members were supporting them, in spirit and effort, a scene which moved me.
As the exhibition went around from country to country, there was a very strong response. For example, in countries such as Russia, Kenya, and Mexico, the status of women is still very limited thus, the exhibition provided an opportunity for voices to be raised for increasing the sensitivities of all regarding these problems which, when I hear about them, have a powerful emotional effect.
Supporting such an extensive exhibition of female artists’ creations is a way of expressing hope that we will have a peaceful world in the years to come. These were the thoughts that I brought back with me.
PARK TOWER TOKYO
Park Tower, Tokyo
The Women Beyond Borders Exhibition was created by Lorraine Serena, an American artist from California, and her associates. The project has in turn, caused more and more women artists to contribute their work to the exhibition. The exhibition here in Japan consists of 200 of these works. I think you will agree with the others who have seen the exhibition and were thrilled by the wonderful individuality of the various works and their artistic expression. I believe that these unique works will speak to you about the hopes of all, both men and women, the young and old, and all races for not only a 21st century without war, but continued peace in the coming millenniums. I am sure that this is the hope of all women everywhere. Let us also hope that this exhibition will lead to additional opportunities throughout Japan, and all the countries of the world, to communicate and express our humanity.
– Shoko Toma, Independant Curator
Shoko Toma, Independent Curator and Coordinator (second from right), with the Tokyo Urban Gas and Development sponsors of the Park Tower exhibition
Now, we humankind encounter a life crisis that we have never met before. This crisis may have been brought upon by the competition for “superiority” and “profit” for such things which each person belongs to, as the nation, peoples and sex…etc. I wonder how we can surmount this serious condition? Can we evade the collapse and find out the light of hope in the twenty-first century?
A primitive man held awe and respect to the universe and nature. We should bring them to life intensely and lower our head and pray sincerely to them. The ancients prayed for the approach to the sacred thing through praying. We should also learn a lesson from their wisdom.
Now each of us must be in immediate need of breaking our little shell of ego and appearing as our universal or spiritual soul which sleeps undeveloped in deep layers.
Painting, building, singing and dancing…these acts are also a prayer itself, I believe.
Soundless loud voice
Silent move
If no sound is the loudest noise which someone gives,
Silence is an allegory only for some.
Organisms bring silence, rhythm and perfection. The shape of the organism and the balance of energy is given out by the organism through me, naturally.
Why is the shape made by nature so fluent in spite of taciturnity? It may be a wrong thing to deform a complete thing by making over it as a work. But I think that meeting the “thing” is going to be much wider by adding my power and moving the space.
A space has energy, resonates with energy from objects, makes a noise and rhythm, hops, bumps, and bursts open. The organisms soundlessly cross between their energy and ours.
To embody “the voice” is my hope, and it is pleasant to have a relationship with it through my work.
My recent works have been on the theme Hole. I do not intend to express the Hole as mere externals, but as invisibles, since this is the most essential.
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