當提到日本著名藝術家五木田智央，總會令人聯想起他標誌性的黑白單色人像畫及超現實風格。但五木田這次在Taka Ishii Gallery從8 月28 日（二）至9 月26 日（六）期間舉行的個展「MOO」，是他首次於日本展示彩色繪畫作品， 象徵著其藝術路上一個重大的改變。是次展出的作品沒有灰沈的黑與白，破格採用了柔和的春天色彩，粉色調的插花和靜態人物均滲透著季節變化的氣息。
When we talk about the famous Japanese artist Tomoo Gokita, his signature monochrome figurative paintings and surrealistic style often come into mind. Yet in his latest solo exhibition “MOO”, which is being held at Taka Ishii Gallery from Aug 28 to Sep 26, Gokita presents exclusively, for the first time in Japan, new color paintings, indicating a significant artistic move in his career. Instead of black and white, the exhibited paintings are packed with spring and pastel colors, which includes a collection of floral arrangements and still-lives reminiscent of seasonal changes.
這是繼3年前展覽後，五木田第5 度於該藝廊舉辦的個展，主要展示以彩色丙烯顏料及粉彩繪所製作而成的最新創作。以往他的構思靈感多來自國外的舊雜誌、印刷品、照片等素材，本次發表的作品則與過去迥異，並無採用任何參考資料，而是將自身記憶中已存在的意象、以往所積累下來的創作經驗，或是作畫過程中偶然生成的形狀等種種因素相互錯綜而逐漸架構出來的作品。作品主題十分多元，其中採用了柔和的色調，並運用個人獨創的調色板，表現手法自由而輕盈，作品呈現的質感亦相當豐潤，可以藉此體驗到藝術家向著更高境界的進化。透過創作過程及材料使用上的改變，他的作品推往一個嶄新的層次。如此成功的突破同時也突顯了存在於作品根基之下，繪畫中所呈現的那種不可動搖的創作本質，賦予鑑賞者相當強烈的印象。
This exhibition marks Gokita’s fifth solo presentation with Taka Ishii Gallery since his previous showing three years ago, which features his latest works made in color on canvas with acrylics and pastels. Compared with Gokita’s previous works which were inspired by old foreign magazines, photographs, and other printed matter, no reference materials were used for his works this time. Their imagery is based instead on coincidental crossings between the artist’s experience and memory and forms. In these new pieces, Gokita uses a soft tone and a unique palette to address a variety of subjects. The paintings combine seemingly effortless expressions and rich textures to suggest an evolutionary step in the artist’s oeuvre. The fruitful transformation that Gokita gracefully achieved by altering his creation process and the use of materials also highlights the unwavering essence embedded in the basis of his works, leaving the audience a strong impression.
Tomoo Gokita “MOO”, installation view at Taka Ishii Gallery; Photo: Kenji Takahashi
五木田在1969 年生於東京，90 年代後期以即興的手繪素描作品引起各界矚目。近年來則採用黑白兩色從事人像畫創作，主題明確具體，又以抽象手法呈現。他在日本國內致力於出版及各大展覽活動外，亦積極參與國際性的個展及聯展，在紐約、洛杉磯、柏林等地都能看到他的身影，並獲得高度評價。他在2008 年、2012 年及2017 年曾於Taka Ishii Gallery 舉辦個展。他亦在2012 年於DIC 川村記念美術館參與「The Unseen Relationship: Form and Abstraction（抽象與形態：隱晦的關係）」展出，2014 年於同館舉行了個展「THE GREAT CIRCUS」。他的作品集包括『ランジェリー・レスリング（內衣摔角，LINGERIE WRESTLING）』（Little More，2000 年）、『シャッフル鉄道唱歌（鐵道歌唱隨機選曲）』（天然文庫，2010 年）、『777』（888 Books，2015 年）等。他現時的創作據點主要為東京。
Gokita was born in Tokyo in 1969. During the late 1990s, Gokita received great acclaim for his monochrome and grayscale figurative paintings. His first book,Lingerie Wrestling, was published in 2000. Started with a show in New York in 2006, Gokita has exhibited his works in solo exhibitions internationally. In 2012, his work was included in “The Unseen Relationship: Form and Abstraction” held at Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art, where his solo exhibition “THE GREAT CIRCUS” was also held in 2014. In April 2018, his solo exhibition “PEEKABOO” was held at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. His books and exhibition catalogues include Shuffle Tetsudō Shōka [shuffle railroad songs] (Tokyo: Tennen Bunko, 2010); 777 (Tokyo: 888 Books, 2015); Holy Cow (Tokyo: Taka Ishii Gallery, 2017); and PEEKABOO (Tokyo: Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation, 2018). He is currently based in Tokyo.
五木田於2000 年發表作品集《內衣摔角（Lingerie Wrestling）》以來，其後的創作，例如以木炭、墨水作畫的手繪紙本作品，或是使用黑白兩色的不透明水彩所完成的繪畫作品等，皆獲得了眾多鑑賞者的矚目。即使已經活躍於國際藝壇並獲得高度評價，他仍不受自身原有之技法及風格的侷限，持續致力於挑戰全新的創作領域，為自身的藝術表現拓展了深度及廣度。除了黑白的作品之外，他亦運用豐富的視覺語言完成了許多不同的創作，例如以單一的藍色所完成的作品、使用模板印刷製作的作品，或是拼貼及立體作品等。自本年度起五木田正式開始著手創作彩色的繪畫作品，2020 年3 月份於義大利舉行的個展，是他首度僅以彩色作品所構成的展覽。
Since the publication of his first book Lingerie Wrestling in 2000, Gokita has attracted a lot of attention with his renowned drawings created with charcoal and ink as well as black and white gouache paintings. Gokita has also exhibited his works abroad which has won him strong accolade. His style and technique continue to evolve as he perennially develops his practice in new directions. Although he is best known for his black and white works, he has employed a rich array of visual vocabulary to produce a variety of pieces including series of blue paintings, stenciled works, collages, and sculptures. Since this year, Gokita has been making color paintings, and his solo exhibition held in Italy in March was consisted exclusively of color works.
Tomoo Gokita “MOO”
Date: 2020.8.28 – 9.26
Time: Tuesday to Saturday 12:00 –16:00
Venue:
Taka Ishii Gallery (complex665)
6-5-24 3F Roppongi Minato-ku Tokyo
© Tomoo Gokita
Courtesy of Taka Ishii Gallery
