Nara and Lion Dance- Renjishi, Kami

Nara
52”H x 225” W
oils, pastels, gold leaf on paper,
3 panels

Lion Dance –Renjishi
135″H x 32″ W
spray paint, wood rods, Tyvek

The Shinto religion encourages the proliferation of stories. This religion, from which all true Japanese mythology springs, accepts that every natural thing, be it man, a volcano, or plum tree, has a kami or spirit.  Kami has been translated as a soul, a spirit, and a deity. Another possible translation of the word is “beings placed higher.” Nature, in other words is inhibited by Kami. With this body of work, I use a balance of abstract and representational forms in order to sever the connection between shape and meaning, connecting the viewer instead to the cut of the knife, so that s/he becomes complicit in the art.  Folklore, reverence, refinement of nature, observance of daily life, are the concepts behind my work. Using folklore as the source of my artistic inspiration I mean to return the viewer temporarily to a state of childhood, dwelling in the senses, immersed in the images of stories, experiencing the primacy of the physical. Whether the viewer, when they turn away from the canvas, or scrolls, seeks mental liberation, or sensory indulgence, is a matter of significance for them. I am less interested in directing their conclusions as I am in revealing them. The desired effect of this body of work upon the viewer is self-investigation. This work was made in reponse to my time spent in during my arist residency at Studio Kura, Fukuoka, Japan.