New Wave in Yubari Exhibition, Part I -Teachers 「ニューウェーブin張展： その一先生たちの作品」」

Surrounding professor Kosuge are from left, former students Mayumi Atsumo, curator Mr. Kudo, Takashi Ikude and Akiko (Attan) Suami

夕張美術館の市民ギャラリーで元道都大学教授の小杉教一先生と陶芸家、中島知之先生と卒業生５人が「ニューウェブーin 夕張展」を六月に開いた。小杉先生は道都ではプロダクトーデザインを担当していたが、北海道を代表する漆作家でもあります。又、長年をわたり多くの照明の作品を制作していて、このグループ展でもそれらの作品を展示しているよう。

中島先生は陶芸を客員講師として道都大学で教えていて、普段は実用的な作品を制作しているようだが、ここでは「炭笛」など夕張の歴史に合わせた自由制作品も展示している。

小杉先生の照明と中島先生の作品について私が感じる共通点は彼らの作品には伝統的な和風の雰囲気が感じられることです。それを近代的な形にそれぞれの個性や想像力にあわせ造られたもののように感じます。近代的でありながら伝統的な味があるから多くの人にアピールすると思います。

昔、小杉先生の漆の作品を私は札幌で見ました。道都大学がオホーツク海を向かい合う紋別市にあるころ先生がよく見たと思う「流氷」をテーマにした作品シリーズでした。抽象的ながら、「流氷」の雰囲気を上手くつかんだのにはとても関心しました。今回は主にお花や人体をテーマにした作品を展示しているようで、おそらく最近の先生の作品でしょう。実物をみないとなんともいえないですが、退職しても新しい方向に進む先生のエネルギィと創作力には関心します。

この展示はそれぞれの制作作品を展示するきかいだけではなく、昔の生徒たちと一緒に久しぶりに活動するきかいでもあり、又、夕張市をはげます会でもあったよう。思い出いっぱいの展覧会だったと思う。

卒業生の一人、アッタンがこの展覧会のサイトを作った。「ニューウェブーin夕張展の詳しい内容を知りたい人はこのサイトを進める。

http://www.k4.dion.ne.jp/~tsumami/yubari_web/repo/20090623.html　

又、このブローグの左下の卒業生のリンクにサイトへのリンクがのせてある。

　　Left,"Winter-Floating Ice"「 冬ー流氷」 Right, "Summer- Butterfly"「 夏ー蝶」〈漆）

"Tower" lacquer「塔」ー照明

Works above are those of Professor Kosuge. Below are works by T. Nakajima with "Coal Flutes" on top and " Beer Cups" below.　
上の作品は小杉教一先生の作品下の写真は中島知之先生の作品　「炭笛」と「ビールカップ」

Professor Noriichi Kosugi who recently retired from teaching a production design and ceramicist, Tomoyuki Nakajima along with students who graduated from Dohto University few years ago gathered together to exhibit their recent works at citizen's gallery of Yubari Art Museum.

Besides a forum to exhibit their recent works, the exhibition appears to be an opportunity for those involve to celebrate professor Kosugi's retirement and get together again. Judging by works and comments on paper, it also appears to be a way for those involved to support the city of Yubari which is going through financially difficult times.

Besides teaching production and interior designs, Professor Kosugi is one of the foremost lacquer artist in Hokkaido. I have seen his lacquer ware works in the past in Sapporo. These were works on "Floating Ice" series that depicted abstractly in lacquer the floating ice of Ohotsk Sea that in late winter, visits Monmbetsu city where Dohto University use to have campus a decade ago. I have seen a floating ice so I was amazed that professor Kosugi was able to capture the feeling of floating ice geometrically in such a media. Pieces in this exhibition appears to be new works that has combine floral and nude figure themes. I cannot make comment on these as I have not seen them except in photos, but I am pleased to see the professor abosorb himself in creativity after his retirement.

Both Nakajima and Kosugi appears to have fondness for traditional esthetic of Japan as the forms and colors of their works showcase this. Nakajima's works that I have seen and is displayed in the exhibit are usually functional ware and have simple forms and 'shibui' or rustic color that seems to be at home with tea ceremony and old wooden houses of Japan. " Coal Flutes " is one nonfunctional artwork of Nakajima that pleasantly surprised me. It has reference to Yubari's coal mining past. But like professor Kosugi's lanterns though original, these seem to possess the form and feeling reminiscent of Japanese traditional art and craft. One can say their works are modernized and personalized version of old tradition and perhaps because of this, probably appeal to many.


Note: City of Yubari is one of those former coal towns you find not only in Japan, but elsewhere including US which flourished when coal was a major fuel source, but rapidly declined with cease of coal production. It had some success recovering through producing famous Yubari , melons, but its other recovery project, an ambitious theme park has gone awry, resulting city in a financial red.