Sunday, October 23, 2016

So so beautiful

We are back home on the mountain after an amazing and wonderful visit to Japan as part of our Sister Cities exchange. So many great experiences, so many wonderful people and so much gorgeous time with art.

One of my highlights was the visit to Gunma Art Gallery and Museum. This is an amazing gallery space very near the town we visit (Tatebayashi). and it always offers unique and beautiful works.

This visit was no exception and this piece took my breath away.

Called "Layered Drawing - The Tactile Sky" by Nobuhiro Nakanashi it is a series of printed transparencies, each off set slightly and suspended from the ceiling in a gentle curve.

I think the images reflect an impending storm sky at sunset, but I may be wrong.

Hung in this beautiful space it was truly breathtaking; its quiet magnificence halting you in your step, forcing you to stop, observe and absorb.


Details of the lighter sky.


The slightly darker sky


And the darkest sky.


This piece worked in so many ways and you discovered more and more the longer you spent with it. The reflections on the floor.


One of the really intriguing elements was the use of mirrors.

Hand etched by a dry point  scribe tool, patterns flowed and merged and reflected both the work and the people interacting with it.

The etched mirrors added another dimension all together to the space.



 A quiet moment in between the panels.


 The shadowy view of other viewers.


Nobuhiro Nakanishis says about the series:

"This series portrays changes that take place in everyday life, like the sun rising or ice cream melting. These ordinary events were photographed at regular intervals, printed on transparent film and assembled in sequence. Capturing the accumulation of time as a sculpture allows the viewer to experience the ephemerality of time. We are all subject to the passing of time, yet each of us feels and perceives it in our own way. Time itself has no shape or boundary and cannot be fixed or grasped. When we look at the photographs in these sculptures, we attempt to fill in the gaps between the individual images. We draw from our physical experiences to fill in missing time and space, both ephemeral and vague. In this series, I attempt to depict time and space as sensations shared by both viewer and artist."

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