In the exhibition room, there is an inky-black and gently winding work, which does not look like a painting at first glance, and which takes almost all of the display space. This is the work entitled “Bending the Light - Green” (oil-painted, canvas, H67cm×W481cm×D763cm, 2009), which was created by Tsuyoshi Higashijima. Most viewers will probably be forced to hold off looking on this work as a painting, though it was made using acrylic paints. Why? There is only one reason. This work was created in a winding shape which challenges the common conception that paintings should be made in a single plane. Nevertheless, can we view this work with such a critical eye and compare it with common painting methodology?

     Like the aluminum work called “When Bending the Light” (aluminum, H77cm×W57cm×D5cm, 2009), which is hung on the wall and reflects the looming shadows of the viewers who stand in front of it, the light plays an important role in Higashijima’s works. Nonetheless, regarding “Bending the Light - Green”, it is clear that, paradoxically, the light stands out by being absorbed into the surface of the work. From the ceiling, a form of limelight illuminates the dark and glazed work, sinks into it and dissipates in the air. As long as it is displayed in this exhibition site, this work can be viewed in approximately any way, regardless of the direction from which the light is received. In an exhibition leaflet, Yuka Irisawa, an advisor to the INAX Gallery, mentioned, “I suppose that Higashijima is similar to Mark Rothko in terms of his five senses and body sensation” (“Tsuyoshi Higashijima Solo Exhibition - Drawn into Pictures”), referring to his other solo exhibition entitled “Tsuyoshi Higashijima Solo Exhibition - PICTURE” (2008), which was held at Aomori Contemporary Art Centre. In this exhibition, however, we can only imagine this similarity between Higashijima and Mark Rothko, since the INAX Gallery, which is in one room of a building without any special characteristics, is different from other exhibition sites that utilize the natural light or which were designed particularly for displaying certain works. “Bending the Light - Green” gives me the impression of being an enormous object, which grew by absorbing the light into itself and assimilating it like nutrition. In other words, this work makes me feel that through concentrating on expressing the light, like in impressionistic paintings, the artist made the painting absorb too much light, and this finally caused the work to break and deform.

     As you see in the title, “Tsuyoshi Higashijima: Painting - Bending the Light” (INAX GALLERY 2, 01/Jun/2009-11/Jul/2009), this exhibition creates an impressive image by using the memorable phrase, “Bending the Light”. As the word, “Painting”, comes before this phrase, it can be considered that “Painting” is the subject and “Bending the Light” is the predicate in this title. What is important in this title is that the predicate is not “Bended by the Light” but “Bending the Light”. Thus, in this work, Higashijima considers the light not as a thing which causes a visual change in the matière of the work, but as a thing which is changed by the work. As I have mentioned above, the work, “Bending the Light - Green”, which is no less than 7 meters in length, is winds outwards from the middle. If we consider that the objects of the paintings are light, it can be interpreted that Higashijima deliberately bent the canvas to convey a symbolic meaning to viewers. Nevertheless, I would like to suggest that Higashijima’s true aim in this work may be to reflect light onto the surface of this winding work.

     Nonetheless, if this really was his aim, it can be said that the work did not need to be so large. However, scale plays an important role in the work. When we confront a work which presents a very different image to so-called ‘painting’, it can create indescribable feelings. And even if we try to express such feelings in many words, it will be extremely difficult to convey the exact nature of the work. This is exactly why I have wondered if it is right to consider his works, critically, in the same way as other more conventional paintings. I feel chagrined at being able to express my impression of this work only by using words, but it can be said that presenting artworks which may be difficult to understand by viewers is one of the most important roles of art. Throw yourself into a space where works are displayed. And when you look at artworks, it does not matter if you know little about them; in fact you should not try to arm yourself with all the knowledge you can gather, nor should you act as if you understood them completely. At present, I hardly know what to make of this huge and winding work, in which nothing is drawn. Will I be able to understand it at some future time? I do not mind even if such a day never comes.
(Translated by Nozomi Nakayama)

"Tsuyoshi Higashijima: Painting - Bending the Light"
01/Jun/2009 - 11/Jul/2009
Venue: INAX GALLERY 2