Seeing yourself through art
Kanagawa Gallery Walk
File.14 Gallery Picture
Yamamoto Shino (Gallery Watts)
I run the gallery with the hope that people will be able to experience the power and fascination of art, but I often feel frustrated when customers dismiss it with just one word: "it's difficult."
Although I do not come from an art background, I can still say that "art is not something so distant, and in fact it is something that you can connect with in any way."
I was inspired by an essay by Sachi Nakajima of Gallery Pictor, who says, "Art is not just about healing and the extraordinary," so I decided to visit the gallery.
Gallery Pictor is located in Kamakura. Exit the west exit ticket gates at Kamakura Station, where the Enoshima Electric Railway is located, and walk along Onari-dori. The street has a more relaxed atmosphere than the Komachi-dori side.
When you reach Yuigahama-dori, turn right and after a while you'll reach the gallery, but if you look up a little along the way, you'll enjoy the store signs and facades. As I walked, catching glimpses of the charm that Kamakura contains, such as its old-fashioned flavor, seaside nuances, history, and location, it took me a while to reach the gallery (laughs).
When you come across a tall, simple building, go up to the second floor and you will find Gallery Pictor .
This museum introduces works by contemporary artists from Japan and abroad.
"When it comes to art, there is a tendency for the concept to take precedence, but we want to introduce works that have a contemporary context, are universal, and have a solid artistic expression," says gallery owner Nakajima Sachi.
The work of Rentaro Kawamoto, a dyeing and weaving artist, one of the three people in the exhibition that was just held, is composed of rip-and-sewn fabrics, and the material is used for the fabric collected from both Japan and overseas. The bright yellow and red work uses a Kodak film logo T-shirt.
As someone from the film generation, I felt nostalgic, and the revival of the company's corporate color, Kodak Yellow, reminded me of the flow of the times and the end of Kodak vs. Fujifilm (whose corporate color is green). I also remember that various VSs are still happening today due to the speed of the times.
"Textiles have been used in daily life all over the world, from prehistory to the present day. I think it's interesting that they weave modern life into textiles that reflect the history, culture, and characteristics of the region. Materials also change over time, and the richness of texture is what makes textile works so fascinating," says Nakajima.
Starting March 27th, a solo exhibition will be held where visitors can see new works by Rentaro Kawamoto that are linked to Zen.
What caught my attention for a long time was the work of Hoshino Mitsuko, an artist living in Germany.
As you move, depending on the angle, a faint image appears on the blank screen.
People have a tendency to try to capture things that seem visible but cannot be seen, and transience, and with that very feeling, I found myself walking back and forth in front of this piece for a long time. As I took my time to appreciate it, I wanted to list the keywords that came to mind and find the source of why it intrigues me.
The current situation of uncertainty due to the coronavirus has become an opportunity to reaffirm our essence. This work, which allows you to see the painting clearly depending on your position, seemed to make me return to my essence again and again.
It's interesting to read the artist statement later and understand the artist's intention, and then deepen your own thoughts from there. In this way, art becomes familiar to you.
Two years after launching the gallery, Nakajima says he has come to see his role once again.
This means changing the perception of art to be not just something that provides healing or something out of the ordinary, but also "a medium that shows us the real world from various perspectives."
When you connect points of interest, they form lines and then surfaces, expanding your view of the world. He is convinced that art can be a nodal point that transcends fields, and he wants to share various points as a platform to explore what is important.
But of course, it is the viewer who connects the dots. In other words, instead of stopping at the information you are given, if you look inside yourself from there and see your current environment, you may find hints on how to move forward even when the future is unclear.
Nakajima's essays, serialized on the gallery site, are always very interesting and highly recommended.
(Interviewed in February 2021)
Gallery Information
Gallery Pictor
Kamakura Tailor Building 2F, 3-1-28 Yuigahama, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
TEL: 080-7085-8404
Business hours: 11:00 - 17:00
Opening hours: Mondays and Tuesdays (closed during exhibition changeovers)
Parking: None
https://gallery-pictor.com/
"access"
▶︎Get off at Enoshima Electric Railway "Wadazuka" station. About 3 minutes walk
About 10 minutes walk from the west exit ticket gate of JR Yokosuka Line "Kamakura" Station
■ Rentaro Kawamoto Exhibition "Fabric of Time"
Saturday, March 27, 2021 - Sunday, April 25, 2021 Gallery Pictor
Friday, April 2, 2021 - Sunday, April 4, 2021 Kenchoji Temple, Ryuoden
*Please see here for the detail
