An interview with Walter Scott, artist exhibiting at Koganecho Bazaar 2014
Text: Akiko Inoue
Interview: Sakiko Wakiya
Photo: Masamasa Nishino
Walter Scott, an artist exhibiting at the Koganecho Bazaar 2014 (hereafter referred to as the Bazaar), is an artist from Montreal, Canada. His signature work is a comic series depicting the various events occurring in the indie art scene, featuring the protagonist "Wendy," a character who represents his identity as an indigenous North American artist. He stayed in Koganecho for the Bazaar and talked about his exhibited works, focusing on "Wendy: Disaster in Yokohama," which he created based on his own experiences. What were his impressions of the town of Koganecho and Japan, as he experiences, records, and analyzes them, which is an important part of the process of his work? After the interview, Walter went out into the town, and it was a heartwarming sight to see him talking to strangers.
About the comic "Wendy"
-First, I'd like to ask you about your representative work, Wendy's Comic, which is scheduled to be released at Koganecho Bazaar 2014. What kind of work is this?
Walter Scott (hereinafter W) : This is a series of stories with a girl named "Wendy" as the main character, who is a projection of myself. Wendy creates works in the indie art scene, but she doesn't have any particular expertise. She has goals she wants to achieve, but she can't achieve them. I depict her in a slightly unstable situation.
- Is there any reason why you decided to project yourself into the character of a young woman? Also, why do Wendy's dreams get crushed every time?
W : There was no special intention in setting the character as a woman.
At first, I was making small drawings, and a friend praised them, which is what prompted me to start making this work. So it's not that I necessarily want to draw women.
Also, the difficulties that Wendy experiences are based on my own experiences, as well as those of my friends. I often hear from my friends about the hardships and worries of the creative world, and I want to know about other people's experiences in that way, not just my own. Sometimes I hear some very personal and deep stories (laughs).
-Could you tell me more about the comic character "Wendy"?
W : It's a 34-page comic with a color cover. Half of it is set in Montreal, Canada, and the other half is set in this Japanese town, centered around Koganecho. There are three characters, and each of them has their own story. This time, the Japanese translation will also be handwritten. The work is almost complete, and all that's left is to wait for it to be bound. The bound work will be sold at Hinode Studio's Koganecho Art Book Bazaar and Bazaar Bazaar. Incidentally, I also designed the signboard that will be used when selling the books. We also plan to sell canvas knapsacks.
Signboard design (in progress)
-Why did you choose two locations for the story, Canada and Japan?
W : My method of creating works is to first record what happened to me, analyze them from an objective point of view, and then start drawing. However, it is very difficult to do that in a short period of time. My original concept was to make a comic book about all the events in Yokohama, but due to time constraints, I decided to incorporate half of my work in Canada.
-So the two works are not connected, but rather separate.
You just mentioned the word "record," but how much research did you do into the Koganecho area and the city of Yokohama?
Of course, there are episodes based on my experiences in Koganecho, but there are also episodes based on my experiences in Shinjuku. My works don't place much importance on drawing specific signs or backgrounds that identify the city in which they are set, so I think there is a general atmosphere where you don't know where the characters are or where the setting is. However, a certain bar in Shinjuku appears in an easy-to-understand way.
-Apart from the comic series, you also create sculptures.
W : Sculptures are created with a different, purer awareness than comic works, so creating them in parallel with the Wendy series helps to heighten my inspiration. By the way, the sculptures will be exhibited in the exhibition space above the Koganecho Art Book Bazaar.
-What kind of sculpture is it specifically?
W : I made several cubic lamps about 40cm tall that light up when you plug them in.
Sculpture (in progress)
About Virtual Community Asia - Koganecho Bazaar 2014
-You applied for the bazaar this time through an open call, what made you decide to apply?
W : The biggest trigger was the advice I received from Makiko Hara, the curator of this exhibition.
-Did the title "Virtual Community Asia" have anything to do with your motivation when applying? Also, please tell us your thoughts on actually participating in the residency program.
W : The work "Wendy" is a completely virtual story, so in that sense I think it's a perfect fit. I actually stayed there, and I found it very interesting to depict the fiction I create based on the reality of my experiences in this real world. Also, I'm from an indigenous background in Montreal, Canada, and indigenous people have their own unique language, so we always live our lives substituting our own language for English. Now that I've come to Japan, I'm also required to translate from English to Japanese, and I'm feeling the complex circumstances of such communities.
Walter's view of Koganecho, Japan
-By the way, what impressions did you have coming to Japan, living here in Koganecho, and walking around Japanese cities to research your work?
W : First of all, compared to Canada, people and buildings in Japan are about 20% smaller, but I have a very good impression of that. It's very elegant and inspiring. The Yokohama area in particular is not as noisy as Tokyo. In that sense, I really like Koganecho here. I'm impressed by something every day.
-You just mentioned the word elegant. Could you tell us a bit more about that image?
W : I think this area is not exactly what you would call elegant, but I feel an elegance in the image of Japan as a whole, especially in the way Japanese people live and their architecture. In the Koganecho area alone, there are new buildings and old houses with very narrow frontages, and this imbalance is very charming and comfortable.
-After doing a lot of research, what is your most recommended spot around Kogane-cho from your perspective?
W : Ootoya in Isezakicho. Their fried chicken is delicious (laughs).
-LOL!
So, my last question is, what kind of people would you like to see your exhibition at Koganecho Bazaar 2014?
W : I was surprised to find that more people than I expected had seen my work before, and this time too, I want many people to see it, and I would like people in the art industry in particular to read it, as I think they will find interesting parts and commonalities that seem to reflect themselves. However, I also want people who are not art specialists to learn about the contents of the art industry (especially the core part that reflects my own experiences) through "Wendy."
After the interview, in Walter's room
■《Wendy: Disaster in Yokohama》
Available at: Koganecho Art Book Bazaar, Bazaar Bazaar
Sculpture exhibition location: Hinode Studio (work number 02)
*A passport valid for the duration of the exhibition (fees apply) is required to view the exhibition.
