JP｜EN
VOCA 2011
The Ueno Royal Museum (Tokyo, March 2011)
courtesy: The Ueno Royal Museum
Abstraction can reveal much about the artist, sometimes more so than any other style. Thanks to a nomination by the art journalist Satoru Nagoya who found my style compelling, I was invited to present my work in the annual Vision of Contemporary Art group show at The Ueno Royal Museum. The two pieces I submitted were produced by taking the oscillating emotions and memories within me and replacing them with color and brushwork. In his review, Mr. Nagoya commented that, “the artist seems to be expressing the original joy of a first encounter with the world of paint and canvas. We should notice that each stroke is carefully controlled by the artist.” Due to the Tohoku earthquake that erupted just before opening, the exhibition was unfortunately cut short and reduced to half of its original length.
"Why figurative art now?" This was the title of the VOCA exhibition symposium last year. I didn't attend the symposium, but I think that whoever asked this question was pretending ignorance.Figurative art has gained more attention in VOCA since the receipt of the grand prize by Hino Korehiko in 2005. Prior to that year, it had primarily been an exhibition of abstract and semi-abstract painting. Since the mid-2000s young artists have been turning more and more to figurative images. Is this due to internal motivation? Information on figurative artists from overseas may also have been a factor.There may even be artists who think they can get into VOCA if they paint figuratively. Why figurative art? It seems that VOCA may have come down on the side of figuration.I believe that VOCA should send the message to young artists that abstraction is also acceptable. This message could be conveyed by deliberately giving prizes to abstract paintings even if they are not as accomplished as some other works. People can be influenced if they are presented with a certain system of values. This is how politics works. The jurors are authority figures in the system of "art politics". Authority is necessary in society, and can be a good thing. l hope that it will be exercised appropriately. The selection process is not meaningful if it intervenes in favor of figurative art alone.
Now let me turn to the painting of Kadota Mitsumasa, who has had few opportunities to show his work in public. Abstraction may be considered old-fashioned in some ways, but his painting contains marvelously nuanced brushwork and colors that run, twist, flow, and some times suggest form. The artist seems to be expressing the original joy of a first encounter with the world of paint and canvas. We should notice that each stroke is carefully controlled by the artist. The viewer who looks at the picture with an open mind finds that every part of it is new and fresh.
NAGOYA Satoru
Art journalist
氷山 (HYOUZAN)
2010 Acrylic and Carborundum on cotton
2300×1700mm
凍てつく川 (ITETSUKU KAWA)
2010 Acrylic and Carborundum on cotton
1167×910mm
Private Collection