Foldings
2024
Omachi Triennale Japan. (NAAF)
Created from local bamboo and clay, this new work takes the form of two large scale volumetric relief panels that reveal aspects of recumbent human and animal forms on their surface. As the works have evolved, these inchoate forms oscillate between recognisable imagery and inert, amorphous monumental mass.
These works are currently under construction, in Omachi, Japan. The site is a disused concrete tunnel dating back to the mid 1800's and sits on the border between Omachi and the Yasaka valley in the Nagano Prefecture. I consider the site for the work as an 'in-between' space. This channel-like architectural cavity serves as both a metaphor and literal space to speak about the notion of passing from one state to another. The notions of fluid and unfixed states of being have been brought into focus with the living organisms that inhabit the space. The climate of the tunnel is humid and cool and is home to a host of amphibious creatures. The mud surfaces over the course of two weeks have become the ground for small plants, probably seeds from where the rice fields where the mud was extracted. The materials are elastic and relative to the fluctuating temperatures and moisture in the tunnel. In areas the surfaces shrink onto the bamboo and the evolving cracks follow the contours of the skeletal form.
Positioned at the far end of the tunnel the sculptures are illuminated by natural light and directed spot lights. The play of light, form and shadows become an integral part of the work which evoke a sense of the pieces being in partial construction and/or ruin.
Note: The forms on the surfaces stem from dream imagery, notions of fluid and unfixed states of being and mythologies of the Shachi and trickster animal spirits such as the Kitsune (fox) and the Tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog). Over the past few weeks, the mud on the floor has revealed evidence of local raccoon dogs passing through the tunnel at night. This series of mysterious visible and invisible interactions have confirmed how alive and fluid the space is. The sculptures will continue to evolve with the surrounding visible and invisible elements of the environment until it is, ultimately, returned to the earth.