The exhibition entitled “Noriyuki Haraguchi: Society and Matter” (08/May/2009-14/Jun/2009) was held using the entire premises of BankART Studio NYK, a space of approximately 3,000 square meters, which was redesigned by the architectural design unit, Mikangumi. Here, let me introduce his work entitled “Oil Pool”, which was displayed at the back of the third floor of the building, which is said to have been used as a storage area originally.

    A rectangular waste oil pool - this work can be described with a phrase as simple as this. Nonetheless, it gives us an intense impression. The visual beauty of this work, rather than its odor, is what makes it attractive. We find that everything around it is reflected clearly on the surface of the waste oil pool. Shadows of these different elements, including roughly designed joists on the ceiling, thick pillars, the soft light coming through the window and even myself, are built up clearly on the surface of the pool.

    In terms of color, however, these shadows, which are reflected on surface of the pool, are different from things in our world, since they have a blackish hue due to the color of the waste oil. So, would it not have been better to use a mirror, which can reflect shadows of the same shape and color as that of their source, rather than a waste oil pool? Probably not. I do not believe this work could be made using a mirror. Why? The color of this work has a significant meaning in that it plays an important role as something ambivalent, which makes us take pleasure in the atmosphere created by the work, even though it also evokes anxiety in us. Thus, it can be said that this work lulls us into the illusion of being in a parallel universe, namely, a negative image of this world. This work seems to be a gate to Hell.

    Noriyuki Haraguchi, who is a member of “Post Mono-ha”,^*1 creates works that transcend conventional systems or fields of art by focusing on things or materials. For example, in this exhibition, we first find the aluminum work entitled “Phantom”, which looks like a cross-sectional fighter plane. This work can be said to represent Haraguchi’s challenge to create artworks beyond artistic fields. If this work prompts you to ask why an artist would take a fighter plane as his subject, it proves that you are tainted by an artistic system. In addition, the work named “Color Relief” looks, at first glance, like a painting created with special materials, since its hard texture stands out through being displayed in an exhibition hall or a gallery. This colorful creation was created using the motif of a washing machine made in the United States. Furthermore, there is a rubber sculpture entitled “Rubber”, which has a doughnut shape. From a round hall in the center of this work, through the open door of the exhibition hall, we can view the sea in a characteristic scene of Yokohama. This borrowed landscape gives a light image to this work in spite of its weight, which is said to be approximately 10 tons, and also it makes us forget the odor of rubber and feel as if we can smell a salty scent from the work. Therefore, Harada’s works can be said to be composed not only of materials but also the space surrounding them.

    Today, it is said that we no longer have a “grand ideological system” and that instead, various small communities have appeared, and that we make a choice from these communities based on our likes and tastes, looking after our favorite groups and excluding communities in which we are not involved. This is why I have been thinking that it is important for us to enjoy looking at artworks by feeling them physically, throwing our bodies into the exhibition space. Not all things which make up this world are our favorite or most easily understandable things. Indeed, the word, “Micro-pop”, which was created by Midori Matsui, represents clearly one of the aspects of Japanese modern art (1990s - 2000s), but the real world would be extremely empty if was constituted only of a combination of common things in our daily lives, as is suggested by Matsui’s work I think that such a real world would cause us to regress as living beings. What is important for us is not to rebuild a “grand ideological system” but to try to widen our view to encompass nature and our own bodies, and to feel them with all our senses. In these terms, Haraguchi’s works can be said to represent today’s actuality more than adequately. (Translated by Nozomi Nakayama)

*1

Members of an artist group, who were engaged in creating modern artworks, and who took over the artistic activities of “Mono-ha” (from the end of 1960s to the beginning of 1970s), whose works were created by thinking a great deal about the existence or roles of things.