BONE FLESH SKIN
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Publication: Journal Santa Fe Section; Date: Apr 8, 2011; Section: Gallery Guide; Page: S8
BONE FLESH SKIN Yukiya Izumita’s clay sculptures imbued with life and movement Art Issues MALIN WILSON-POWELL For the Journal
In the 15th century, the Japanese playwright Zeami wrote that the complete actor is the one who combines the qualities of bone, flesh and skin. Zeami and his father established the Noh theatre and, in addition to 50 plays, he wrote major aesthetic treatises on the spiritual Yukiya Izumita’s amazing contemporary clay sculptures combine the qualities of bone, flesh and skin. His current solo show at Touching Stone gallery is titled “Still Point” from poet T. S. Eliot’s famous “Four Quartets,” and Izumita’s works can certainly be seen as suspended between opposing directions. However, like Eliot’s poem, these clay bodies are imbued with a kind of life force. Each work displays an authority, authenticity and autonomy that is most obvious when perceived as movement. “Ori #1” — Izumita’s largest work in the in exhibition — is given the pride of place it deserves in the center of the main display. Impossibly thin and graceful wings soar upward from the weight of its base in a perpetual relationship between earth and sky. This extraordinary piece won first prize in the free form category at the 2009 biennial Japanese Ceramic Exhibition, the other two categories being traditional and functional. Regarding the qualities of bone, flesh and skin developed by the artist, ceramics always starts with hands in wet mud, in malleable flesh. The clay body of Izumita’s “Ori #1” is a tawny color and, like all of his pieces, retains the look of dirt still laden with impurities. Izumita digs his own clays close to home and, after he sifts and prepares them, he mixes in sand and stone to attain his characteristic rustic-looking blend with unlikely resilience. As noted in the gallery brochure: “Passage of time is often implicit … whether it suggests deeply fissured boulders, a dried up and cracked stream bed, jagged layers of erosion-exposed bedrocks.” Regarding the bones or structure of Izumita’s inventive ceramic sculptures, many of the shapes with their crusty, yet razor-thin, edges are inspired by both a restrained, even minimalist strain of origami (his “Ori” series) as well as Mobius strips (his “Infinity” series). All of the “Ori” pieces have the animated presence of origami unfolding. In addition to the tawny tones of “Ori #1,” there are many different blends of earth-colored clays used for the 18 works on view. The clay body colors include white-gray, terra cotta, rust, brown, mid-gray and dark gray. Drawing inspiration directly from nature, a number of the artist’s series are titled for topographical features including “Delta,” “Dune Waves,” “Ravines,” and “Stratum.” Pieces from each series are on exhibit, along with works from his “Geometric Vase,” “Shadows,” and “Tower” series. New to the Touching Stone gallery is a series named for the obi, a woman’s kimono sash. “Obi No.13” is a terrific sculpture of five separate segments of looped clay that nestle oneinside-the-other in a vertebral sequence that suggests an endless paper chain. It looks fragile and fluid, yet strong. Displayed here on a very fine woman’s formal obi in the palest sage green with a blush rose swirl, the sculpture’s earthy color and irregularities — as well as its refinements — are accentuated by the placement. The skin or surfaces of Izumita’s ceramics complete his vision. He uses both a gas kiln and a wood-fired kiln for different effects. The three woodfired “Dune Waves” have dry skins that look as if the wind and sun bleached their undulating surfaces. “Ori Jar No. 9” — also wood-fired is a thoroughly contemporary and eccentric version of the vessel used for heating water during the tea ceremony. Its burnt, charred surface echoes the multiple charcoal related items used in this ancient ritual. The skin of the gas-fired “Infinity No. 6” has a silvery metallic sheen and the skin of “Tower Vase No. 10” has a warm coppery sheen. For the artist, warm-toned glazes enhance earthy textures and cod-toned glazes are used to evoke water. It must be noted that Izumita was born in 1966 and grew up in Iwate Prefecture that was devastated by the March 11 earthquake measuring 9.0 that triggered a tsunami. Formerly known for its rugged, rocky coastline, beautiful beech forests and lofty mountain peaks, Izumita has been living there since 1992, after working for three years in Tokyo. Following a production pottery apprenticeship under Kokuji-yaki master Gakuho Simodake, in 1995 he established his own kiln in the village of Nodamura (population 5,000). He has been winning awards ever since. Miraculously, even though Izumita shipped the new work for this exhibition in the aftermath of the earthquake-tsunami, three quarters of the exhibition arrived. With great relief that the artist was unharmed and safe, the gallery hopes the remaining work will come in time to be added to the installation. Look for an announcement on their website. Four pieces were damaged in transit. However, in these extreme circumstances, rather than feeling like a loss, the pieces feel as if they have gained another layer of resonance. After being expertly restored to museum standards, their damage is undetectable and they look no different than they day they were originally completed, yet the damage is embedded in the bones, flesh and skin of “Ori #1” and the three “Dune Waves.”
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BONE FLESH SKIN
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You might think there could be nothing new in Japanese ceramics, a legacy that extends back to the 12th century. Yukiya Izumita has developed a style of work that is so individual, innovative, and technically advanced, he proves there is something new under the sun. If you go WHAT: Yukiya Izumita: Still Point WHERE: Touching Stone Gallery, 539 Old Santa Fe Trail WHEN: Through May 4. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. CONTACT: 505-988-8072 Email: director@ touchingstone.com
“Ori Jar No. 9” is a wood-fired ceramic jar with lid by contemporary Japanese ceramist Yukiya Izumita.
“Infinity No. 6” is a gas-fired ceramic sculpture byJapanese artist Yukiya Izumita.
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COURTESY TOUCHING STONE GALLERY “Tower Vase No. 10” is a wood-fired ceramic vase form by Japanese artist Yukiya Izumita.
“Ori No. 1” is an award-winning masterpiece by contemporary Japanese ceramist Yukiya Izumita.
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