Panel fourteen - Selected by Yasuno YOSHIDA
Curator Comment by YOSHIDA Yasuno about “Zukunft” by YAMAGISHI Aria
Cultivate, the theme of this exhibition, means ‘to plow’. However, ‘cultivate’ has many other meanings as well. Please enjoy the depth of ‘cultivate’ along with the artist’s work.
The first thing you notice about this work is the large whale in the center. The light colored creature and small buildings against the deep blue of the ocean gives the painting a crisp and fragile impression with its bubbly depiction. The colors of the whale are different from the cold colors of the sea, and is represented in warm colors, so it is easy to see that it is the main subject of the picture. The title, Zukunft, means ‘future’, which is very appropriate for the theme of cultivate, which has many bright meanings.
As mentioned in the beginning, ‘cultivate’ has a wide range of meanings. Therefore, it can be interpreted in many different ways. For example, if the meaning of ‘cultivate’ is linked with imagination," then the meaning of ‘cultivate’ is not limited to a single interpretation, but can have even broader meanings.
Curator Comment by YOSHIDA Yasuno about “dwr glas” by Jay FINNIS
The word ‘cultivate’ has not one, but multiple meanings. The multiple meanings of the word ‘cultivate’ allow us to come up with a wide variety of ideas, and depending on how the artist receives it, a wide variety of works can be created.
This work uses a reprographic technique called cyanotype, in which light and dark appear as shades of blue. The work lacks the variety of today's photographs, and is expressed in a single blue color. The title “dwr glas” means ‘blue water’ in Welsh, and combined with the reprographic technique, it gives a simple yet vivid impression, suitable for expressing ‘cultivate’, which also can mean ‘to refine’.
As stated at the beginning, ‘cultivate’ has multiple meanings. We tend to think that one word has only one meaning, but by removing this bias and changing our perspective and thinking, the meaning of ‘cultivate’ can be further developed.
YAMAGISHI Aria (Artist)
Born in Saitama, Japan. She is enrolled in the Concentration in Japanese Painting at Joshibi University of Art and Design. She usually creates works using her own "view of life and death". Instagram: @aria_yamagishi
Jay FINNIS (Artist)
Born in Nottingham, UK. She is enrolled in the Art & Design Foundation Studies Course at Loughborough University. She usually works with a variety of methods and media.
YOSHIDA Yasuno (Curator)
Born in Tokyo, Japan. She is enrolled in the Concentration in Art and Culture at Joshibi University of Art and Design. She belongs to the Western Art History Seminar and Art and Law Seminar.