"Empathy not Books Cure Myopia"Set of three pieces 「近視の治療は本を読むことではなく人の気持ちになることだ」ー彫刻、説明書、イラストの三点セット
インクイラスト：生命の木の葉っぱの上金魚蜂の家に住んでいるゴールドウィン君に大天使ガブリエルが彼は近視病にかかっていると教える。その時もう一人の大天使、ラファエルが現れる。
Sculpture part
Description of scene in the sculpture piece above上の彫刻の出来事を説明している
In my recent works archangel Raphael has appeared couple times. As noted in my artist statement posted on my last exhibition, these works are not intended as a religious work. Angels and other biblical figures, various myth figures were used because of their strong archetypal imagery that I felt made my stories more effective and easier to understand. My apology to anyone who maybe offended in my usage of these figures.
With these works, ink drawings on paper and smaller, descriptions of 'everyday scenes' of sculptures also in ink on paper and sculptures together make up a single piece of work. Each sculpture is my comment on politic, culture, economy and religion. I used odd characters such as worms, goldfish, miniature dinosaurs in hypothetical tree of life setting with biblical figures and mythical figures to create rather, whimsical and maybe bizzare stories. Using odd characters like worms I felt help to lighten some of my comments.
In piece" Empathy, Not Books Heal Myopia" shown above the illustration part shows Archangel Gabriel visiting Goldwyn the popeye goldfish and informing him that despite all his learning, he is suffering from myopia just as Archangel Rapahel, the healing angel drops by. The sculpture piece depicts Raphael, with his curing power, temporary curing Goldwyn of myopia, a diseas of narrow mindedness. Here archangel tells Goldwyn, he needs to empathetic, that is be in a position of others in order to fully recover from this illness of narrow mind. But for a comfort, he reminds that Goldwyn is not the only one with myopia, to a certain degree, all of us has it.
With this piece, after I made a leaf and branch part of the work, looking at the shape of base composition, I thought of a winged figure, a flying reptile would be fine. However, a popeye goldfish piece that didn't work out in other work looked great on the left side of this piece, and before I knew it I had an angel instead of something from JurassicＰａｒｋ. And the goldfish became a vehicle for my thoughts and opinions.
After I returned to US in 08', I read and watched news on tv and papers considerably as it was a great period of turmoil in politics and economy all around the world. Watching, I was amazed to hear what I felt was narrow minded views of supposedly intelligent, well educated people all over the world. Most of us including myself are narrow minded, self-centered and self-righteous, but to a degree. When I hear of women in a country in Asia getting beaten up or killed for adultery by their relatives, or kids getting executed in some Middle Eastern countries, I wonder where empathy, feeling for others' has left us. Things are no better here in US as well as it seems despite their strong beliefs in words in Bible, some leaders from bible belt are so much into war and making money and not into helping out those in need as their christian teaching asks of them. These and many more were fodder for works in this exhibition.
With second piece, Archangel Raphael Healing the Wounded Earth", below, in the illustration all the living things except ignorant mankind are requesting the Tree of Life for help, and Archangel Raphael comes forth to heal the Earth. Archangel warns though that although Earth will be cure, longer its unattended, the greater the illness and therefore greater the force needed for cure and greater the AFTER EFFECT.
This piece was the last piece that I begin to work among the work in the last exhibition. As I begin to realize some of my works were little bit negative or bit cynical, I wanted to end the series with positive note, so I came up with Archangel Raphael rescuing the earth. However, I could not help, but add some warning.
Here too, I was irritated reading paper that so many people in US were still skeptical of 'global warming' , and refuse to accept the notion of damage that mankind is doing to earth. Though I believe nature and earth will keep on existing, certain adjustment will be made to accommodate what mankind has done and is doing. This accommodation is both the Cure and Aftereffect that I am worry about and I cry out in this work of hope and warning.
The illustration is sort of prologue to the sculpture piece. Here archangel Raphael, the healing angel is approaching the part of Tree of Life call Earth. He comes because all the living things other than ignorant mankind are asking for his help as Earth is being wounded. おろかな人間は別として痛んだ地球のあらゆる生物が助けをもとめているため、大天使ラファエルが地球を救いにくる場面。
"Archangel Raphael Healing the Wounded Earth" sculpture part「大天使ラファエルが痛んだ地球を治療している」
Description of sculpture piece彫刻の場面の説明書。ここでは大天使ラファエルが痛んだ地球を回復しているところだが、治療しながら「地球を痛め、ほっていた時間の分、傷は深く、治療後の影響もひどくなると」忠告もしている。
Detail of sculpture piece.私の最後の個展では大天使ラファエルが二回ほど登場した。個展の時に展示した私のコメントに書いてあるように、これらは宗教美術として制作したものではない。 天使やモーゼのような聖書にでる者やギリシャ神話などにでる英雄たちはなどは多くの人が知っている元形イメージでこれらを使えば私の話・意見が理解しやすいと思ってつかいました。これらのイメージを使ってあまりいい気持ちでいない人たちには失礼しました。
これらの作品では彫刻の作品の他に絵つき彫刻の場面の説明文書とインクのイラストが一緒に展示され、これら全部で一つの作品と完成されてある。 彫刻は文化・政治・宗教・などについての私の意見を述べている。イラストは彫刻の場面の続きか前文のようなものである。 イラストや説明文書は綺麗に描くより、あらあらしく、漫画のように描いたほうが味があり、身近に感じると重いこのように描いた。いちど時間をかけて描いたが堅苦しくなり、彫刻や内容とあわないように感じた。あと出目金のゴルドウィン君など漫画かゲームにでるようなキャラを造り、面白みを加え、私の意見からトゲをとりやわらかくしようとした。
「近視の治療は本を読むことではなく、人の気持ちになることだ」の彫刻の場面では治療の大天使、ラファエルが近視病にかかっている出目金のゴルドウィン君を治療しながら、彼にこの病気を完全に治すには彼が人の気持ちになるひつようがあるとアドバイスしているところ。
２００８年、アメリカへ帰国後、政治的や経済的に世界が大きく揺れていた時期だったから私はニュースを新聞やテレビで熱心に見ていた。でもインテリで世間を良く知っているはずの人たちの狭い見方にびっくり。このポスト、結構長いから例題などいわないが、これらについての怒りが今回の作品集のテーマとなった。
「大天使ラファエルが痛んだ地球を治療している」の作品も温暖化や人間が自然をだめにしていないという人々（けっこうアメリカにいる）にたいしての忠告である。でもこの作品希望も与えたつもり。
英語の説明で結構このポスト、長くなったから日本語版はかなり省略して終わります。
No comments:
Post a Comment