| EN |

Art from/at the Tama River
Reviews
Written by Mizuki TANAKA   
Published: November 02 2009
The Tama River as a Site of Art: From “Institute of Tourism and Art” to “Panorama Ball” 1964-2009

Tiger Tateishi "Neon painting Mt. Fuji" (1964-2009); courtesy of Fuchu Art Museum

View from "Art from/at the Tama River" exhibition, courtesy of Fuchu Art Museum

Rieko HIDAKA "Distance from the sky VI" "Distance from the sky VII" (2009); courtesy of Fuchu Art Museum

     Recently, there have been a number of open-air art festivals presenting artworks at venues located in mountains and cities utilizing regional characteristics of the venues, such as the “Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial” (Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture, and others) and “Mixed Bathing World” (Beppu, Oita Prefecture). Under such circumstances, there is one exhibition which is being held using a museum as the venue with the theme of regions. The title of the exhibition is “Art from/at the Tama River” (Fuchu Art Museum, Tokyo, 19 Sept 2009 - 3 Nov 2009). As shown in the title, the theme of the exhibition was the Tama River. It may be a more suitable expression for rivers to be described as borders or intermediaries among regions than to be called “regions”.
     Nevertheless, in fact, rivers are places which exist in this world. Immediately after entering the venue, we find painting works by Hiroshi Nakamura and Koichi Tateishi. And in the next corner, there are the exhibits, materials and recording movies which Nakamura and Tateishi presented in the past open-air art exhibition entitled “Institute of Tourism and Art” (Tama River, 1964). These exhibits, representing their powerful expression at the time, give us an intense impression. In this exhibition, we can enjoy various kinds of past and recent creations made by eleven artists and one group. Each exhibit evokes for the viewers clear images of the “Tama River”.

     The venue is divided into two parts. In the first section, past works created or displayed at the Tama River, as mentioned above, are introduced. For example, there is the recording material named “Stone and Number” (1969), in which Jiro Takamatsu numbered the stones along the riverside. There are also photos recording an event entitled “Reflecting the Images of the Rivers on the Rivers” (1971), in which Nobuo Yamanaka reflected the images of the surface of the headwaters of the Futako Tamagawa on to the surface of the river. Finally, there are pictures from a creation named “Project for Extraterrestrials No.1: The House of Human Beings”, in which Sai Kokkyo exploded a yurt (a simple tent which is used by nomads) on the riverside using powder.

     In the second section, there are the resent creations which were made in various kinds of ways, such as using the motif of the Tama River or inspired by the landscapes of the river. Quak In-Sik, who had his own atelier near the Tama River, made a wide range of creations, such as the objet entitled “The Stone” (1976), which was made using a stone he had picked up near his atelier, as well as paintings and prints. In other instances of the exhibits in this part, there is the photograph named “Hinohara-mura, Nishitama-gun, Tokyo” (2009). This was taken by Toshio Shibata using his own style of taking pictures in which he compares “aspects” generated by nature with those created by artifacts and forces viewers to question the composition of paintings through his works. Next, there is the picture entitled “Water Reclamation Center II, the Headwaters of the Tama River” (2009). This taken by Tadasu Yamamoto. It shows the organic landscapes while using the subjects of artificial things.

     Finally, we see the creation named “The Water Surface/Gleanings - the Tama River -” (2006), in which Atsuhiko Otake reflected the images of the scenery on the glass sphere using a pinhole camera. In this section, we can also enjoy looking at paintings, such as the drawing entitled “The Pine Forest” (1983), which Rieko Hidaka created using pencils, and Makoto Fujimura’s Japanese painting named “Futako Tamagawa #3” (1990), which was completed through a process of making a number of prototypes of the exhibit deliberately. The exhibits provide us with new perspectives of the Tama River, which allows us to reconsider the Tama River while looking at the creations in the venue as if we are talking with the exhibitors. This will make it possible for us to restructure and review our own views of the river. On the one hand, exhibitions, including outdoor events, which show the relationships between exhibits and regions then and there, would focus on the moment of viewing the exhibits. Even if exhibitions are held using themes relating to history, including local residents’ memories, they are based on the perspective of looking back on the past from the present. In other words, viewers have no choice but to be conscious of their thoughts at the present moment. On the other hand, creations and records which have been owned in museums were created at the “present moment” at that time. Therefore, we can view the past experiences which were gained by people of that time from their perspective. And, based on this, we consider past matters from a comtemporary point of view. In doing so, such past experiences become part of our own experiences. When leaving the museum, I felt as if the Tama River was getting out of the venue and moving into my brain. Similarly, memories of the “Tama River” would remain fresh in many viewers’ minds.
(Translated by Nozomi Nakayama)


Related Exhibition

"Art from/at the Tama River"
19/Sep/2009 - 03/Nov/2009
Fuchu Art Museum

Last Updated on November 02 2015
 

Related Articles


| EN |