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Enpei ITO
Reviews
Written by Satoshi KOGANEZAWA   
Published: October 26 2009

fig. 2 “Yawarakai-shokkaku” (2009); stone powder clay/oil paint/styrene foam, H95cm×W31cm×D35cm, photo by Satoshi Koganezawa, courtesy of YUKARI ART CONTEMPORARY

fig. 1 "Frog" (2009); stone powder clay/oil paint/styrene foam, H6.8cm×W10cm×D10.5cm, photo by Satoshi Koganezawa, courtesy of YUKARI ART CONTEMPORARY

    In Enpei Ito’s portraits, in which thin bodies of men and women are extremely deformed, there were vast numbers of wrinkles on their clothes as well as on their bodies. This solo exhibition of Ito, held at Muramatsu Gallery in 2007, left an indelible impression on me. Certain kinds of clothing and uniforms, such as business suits and military uniforms, which play roles as symbols to identify the people who wear them and their occupations, seem to assimilate the people into their clothing. In the same way, the figures depicted in Ito’s creations made me feel as if they had been assimilated into their clothing as well. Most of the people whom he draws are middle aged. In some of his pictures, I find the subjects and their backgrounds seem to have integrated with each other. His creations give me an image of the surface of trees which are several decades, or hundreds of years, old. Although the people depicted in his paintings never talk by themselves like trees, they exit there indeed. I still remember that the exhibition space had a really tense atmosphere.

    This is the second time that Ito’s solo exhibition has been held at the YUKARI ART CONTEMPORARY. His previous exhibition, “Emergence Vol.1” (4 June, 2008 – 28 June, 2008), was held using only Space 1 of the gallery with its two spaces. At that time Space 2 was used to present Ami Ko’s exhibits. This is the first solo exhibition in which Ito is presenting his works using the whole space of the gallery. In the solo exhibition which was held at Muramatsu Gallery, he showed only oil paintings. This exhibition and the “Emergence Vol.1” are similar in character in that we can enjoy both paintings and stereoscopic creations at the same exhibition. Ito has been creating only oil paintings as well as three-dimensional works of humans and creatures which make me feel as if they were made based entirely on his paintings.

fig. 4 View from the exhibition, photo by Satoshi Koganezawa, courtesy of YUKARI ART CONTEMPORARY

fig. 3 "Untitled" (2009); oil paint/canvas, 41cm×41cm, courtesy of YUKARI ART CONTEMPORARY

    In this exhibition, examples of stereoscopic exhibits are the “Frog” (stone powder clay/oil paint/styrene foam, H6.8cm×W10cm×D10.5cm, 2009) [fig. 1] and the “Yawarakai-shokkaku” (stone powder clay/oil paint/styrene foam, H95cm×W31cm×D35cm, 2009) [fig. 2]. These works were created through the following process: 1. An original rough form of a work is made using styrene foam; 2. Stone powder clay is put on the original form; 3. An outline of the creation is formed by trimming the surface of the work using something like a spatula before the clay dries; and, 4. The work is colored with oil paints. “Yawarakai-shokkaku”, displayed in Space 2 at the back of the exhibition room, is characteristic in that there are an infinite number of wrinkles on the surface, as with his painting of the same title. The person depicted in this creation seems to be the same man drawn in the picture named “Untitled” (oil paint/canvas/ 41cm×41cm, 2009) [fig. 3], hung on the wall of the same space as the “Yawarakai-shokkaku”. However, according to the artist, they are the depictions of different subjects. Originally, there must have been a difference between Ito’s intent in creating paintings and in making three-dimensional creations. The former creations were made using canvas to resemble virtual spaces, and the latter works were created using display spaces as part of the creations [fig. 4]. There is no hierarchy between pictures and stereoscopic works. It is interesting that Ito takes opposite steps in creating paintings and three-dimensional pieces. Specifically, “drawing” pictures is basically an additive conduct, while “trimming” which is part of process of creating stereoscopic works, is a subtractive act. The thing they have one thing in common in that Ito uses both of them excessively.

fig. 5 "Portrait I" (2008); oil on canvas, 227.5×145.5cm, courtesy of YUKARI ART CONTEMPORARY

    Ito seems to have been increasing his use of such “excessiveness” of using additive and subtractive ways to create paintings and three-dimensional works. For example, in “Portrait I” (oil paint/canvas/227.5cm ×145.5cm, 2008) [fig. 5], the physical frame of the subject gives us a stronger impression than that of each work shown at Muramatsu Gallery. In addition, it is also noteworthy that there are age differences between the people depicted in “Portrait I” and those drawn in the works presented at Muramatsu Gallery. Looking back on his works shown in 2007, wrinkles seemed to play a role in making people assimilate with their clothing within the works. Wrinkles have a social significance in that they were considered to be visualized symbols of uniforms. The nature of his creations seems to have changed in accordance with the increasing number of wrinkles which were drawn in them.

    “Dog I” (oil paint/canvas/116.7cm×116.7cm, 2009) [fig. 6] and “Dog II” (oil paint/canvas/116.7cm × 116.7cm) [fig. 7] are good examples of works which represent this change in his oeuvre. These two works were made using the motif of a dog which Ito keeps at home. In both of them, we cannot find any social meaning as mentioned above. Just like the bodies of people who are depicted in his portraits, the forms of the dogs drawn in these two paintings are deformed. Despite this, the excessively large number of the dogs’ body hairs creates an intense impression of vitality. Ito’s recent works were made focusing on “life” or “life force” rather than “society”. As he used his dog as the motif of the paintings, in the “Mouse and Deadwood” (oil paint/canvas/33.4cm×24.3cm, 2009) and the “Frog” (stone powder clay/oil paint/styrene foam, H6.8cm×W10cm×D10.5cm, 2009), he has also depicted other animals, such as a mouse and a frog, which can be seen around his atelier in Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Ito uses matter which is found in his daily life as subjects of his works. Why then were these works made in forms which are completely different to those of living matters which he sees in his everyday life? This is the central issue which we should raise when considering Ito’s works. I have not yet prepared a complete answer to the question. I am doing nothing but standing in front of his creations.
(Translated by Nozomi Nakayama)

fig. 7 “Dog II” (2009); oil on canvas, 116.7×116.7cm, courtesy of YUKARI ART CONTEMPORARY

fig. 6 (left) "Dog I" (2009); 116.7×116.7cm (right) "Mouse and Deadwood” (2008); oil on canvas, 33.4cm×24.3cm photo by Satoshi Koganezawa, courtesy of YUKARI ART CONTEMPORARY

Last Updated on May 10 2016
 

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