by Yasushi Kurabayashi

 

 

Humans don't die.

 

This is the first statement in artist Hiroshi Kariya's text

entitled "The now is" or "Present" in his solo exhibition at

Mizuma Art Gallery in 1994. I am thoroughly attracted to his

conclusions. The statement reflects the artist's life and the

condensed experiences of his thought and prayer in which

his works have been woven.

 

 

"415 Palestinians" 1993, Spark Gallery II, Tokyo

 

Today one is not supposed to interpret an artist's work

with a knowledge of his or her personal life. Times have

changed since we had "tragic painter" Van Gogh and "cursed

painter" Gauguin. The creators' attitude of tapping into their

private lives for sources of their works, such as the "I story"

that was popular in Japan around Taisho and early Showa

periods (1910s--1930s), is now rejected. The sentimental

attitude of reading stories and dramas into one's work

certainly has been overcome. At the same time, the more

highly philosophical idea of recognizing the inseparability between

an artist's life and his/her creative activities is

neglected. While it is true that a work of art exists independently

at the moment of completion, the creation itself

is clearly generated from the artist's creative conduct which

is impacted by his/her daily life and thought, bodily makeup

and general existence in this world. Ignoring this inseparability

and only looking at the works causes a big obstacle in interpreting

the artworks of certain kinds of artists.

Hiroshi Kariya would be one of such artists. Shocked by

the images of illustrated hell shown to him by his grandfather

when he was small, Kariya has been intrigued by a

poisonous fear of the idea of death. I won't go into the

details of how this fear penetrated every waking moment of

his later life, but his experiences must have been triggered by

a raw and basic questioning of what kind of trivial meaning

this life of a human being would have in this world. I'm not

sure whether the statement of "Humans don't die" is a

conclusion or a wish that was reached by an awakening after

countless and continuous prayers. The only thing I can say is

that Kariya's whole history and whole existence are staked

on this thought. His creative activities and all of his works

are certainly based on this statement and are implemented

from there.

 

Bosnia 1993 18 drawingsvideo

Spark Gallery II, Tokyo

Assembridge of discarded object collected from artist's related friends and relatives: Mitsuo Shigemura,

Shigeo Anzai, Keiji Uematsu, Wolf Karren, Bernd Jansen, Isolde Wafrin, Wolfgang Lui, Hilmar Boyle,

Raimund Van Weil, Lioba Lenhart, Noboru Takayama, Sueo Mitsuma (Gallery owner),

A. Sakaguchi (Gallery coresponded), and among with total of 106 people's belongings.

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In any case, does the statement "Humans don't die" hold

good in this world? Human lives have been so easily taken

throughout the twentieth century and that is still so. It is not

enough to mention Auschwitz and Hiroshima. The issues that

Kariya refers to in his works, such as the crimes against

humanity in Bosnia, Palestine, Somalia, Cambodia, Angola, El

Salvador, nuclear issues and AIDS, nations, ethnic groups,

race, gender---violence and homicide are repeated anywhere,

anytime, and people die like torn and discarded pieces of

paper.

If a proposition that "Humans don't die" holds true, this

world phenomenon must be regarded as a pseudo phenomenon.

However, this is neither an escapist attitude nor a

hermit idea. Reality exists as facts although it might be a

pseudo phenomenon. It exists only at present and repeats

its existence. What seem to be humans' life and death are

pseudo phenomena. Humans don't die---this is a world view

relevant in Kariya's work.

.......................................................................................

 

'the now is' sutra"

 

A string of words that are repeated endlessly in many of

Kariya's works---"the now is"---is called " 'the now is' sutra"

by the artist, and it expresses his world view very well.

According to Kariya,

"the" is a directing (person), demonstrative pronoun;

"now" is an object of concept (symbol), present

(momentariness), changing movement of this world

phenomena---present as eternity; and

"is" is what is present, the one and only presence, that

the world phenomena continue to exist at the same

time (as another, that the another does).

"The" points to the world phenomena of

"now," and that the world phenomena exist means "is."

"Is" is how the world phenomena appear as "now,"

directed by

"the." At the same time,

"now" is a concept which expresses the appearance, which

is "is."

.......................................................................................

 

It is a little complex and difficult to grasp, but let me

explain in my own words. "Now" is a concept---a basic

concept---that the whole universe, including us humans and

every phenomenon in nature, exists as pseudo phenomenon

in this world. That this basic concept works as an actual

phenomenon and exists is "is." What directs and reveals this

basic concept of "now" is "the." Thus Kariya's work exists

first of all as a demonstrative pronoun "the." At the same

time, this demonstrative function works as "is, " both in a

sense of existing as a phenomenon and as a creative

expression. Such a demonstrative conduct and function of

existence are all included in the concept of "now" in the

sense of forming "the present." In this way, three elements

of "the," "now," and "is" include each other while existing

independently, and they are part of each other while each is

the whole.

They consist of the tripartite unity---direction,

concept and existence.

 

 

In the esoteric Shingon sect of Buddhism, its object of

worship, "Dainichi Nyorai," exists as a phenomenon of "a

matter, an affair, a circumstance, an event" while it is also

directed as a "name." This idea is embedded in the icon in

the "Kongoh" World Mandala and "Taizo" World Mandala

which respectively place "Dainichi Nyorai" in the center.

The former portrays the static order of the universe, while

the latter its dynamic aspect. Kariya always says his work is

a sutra. It is so because the letters (words) he writes are

not simply symbols, they are linked with ideas, and they

continue endlessly. In a viewpoint of "the now is" sutra,

which forms the core of Kariya's philosophy in his work, it

would be possible to view all of his works as a mandala.

When viewing it as a mandala, the idea that each is a part

and the whole (which I have explained in terms of the

relationshipof the three words) can be well understood in the

philosophy of Kariya's work, as applicable to every phenomenon

in the universe. While humans are a part of the universe,

we are the universe itself. Any tiny, trifle existence in

this world---even the dust in the air or a dewdrop on a leaf---

is part of the universe, and at the same time, includes the

whole universe. Thus, Kariya's phrase introduced at the

beginning of this text: "Humans don't die" is followed by the

sentence: "Humans are the universe."

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We still have another issue that we have to think about

when facing Kariya's work. That is, why his philosophy

comes to exist as an artwork. Sometimes Kariya calls his

work or his whole solo exhibition "Engraved Time." A person

is always living in the flow of "present" while being aware of

its continuity. "Being aware" means that each moment is an

awakening while this sense of awakening becomes unaware

when it attains the normal state. Kariya compares awakening

to a hit on the shoulder while meditating at a Zen temple, or

wakening up in the morning, or the ringing of a telephone.

That Kariya creates his work and writes sutra is also an

awakening and a succession of awakenings---

it is the engraving of time.

The reason why Kariya's work has overwhelming power for

the viewer is because the viewer is awakened and made

conscious of his/her place in the universe. Then the viewer

recognizes that this moment of awakening and the awareness

of it are generated by the result of the artist's

tremendous labor over a long period of time. All of Kariya's

works are the product of stunning continuation. When one

looks at his work, she/he is first overwhelmed by what appears,

and is further overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of work

that has been expended.

 

While any work of art is required to have some kind of

visual strength, where does the power of Kariya's work come

from? His work is not an indirect and abstract illustration of

an artist's concept. The materials he uses---blackboards,

stones, discarded objects, scrap of newspaper articles,

words written with a chalk, flowers---are primary in his

thought and are direct. In this sense, Kariya's work is realistic

in the true meaning of the word. Many visitors to his exhibitions

say that they are awe struck. So am I. I am still

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18 drawings video drawing

photo: Sakamoto Mari

 AERA weekly magazine / Asahi Shinbun / Spark Gallery II, Tokyo, 1993

Radiation, 1993   Discarded object contained daily life trashes with including

 Preliminary school's histosy book, Time magazine, Asahi News paper,

and Heart sutra, the teach of life.

 

 

fact that humans' lives and matter circulate.

 

reminded of the shock that I experienced at his solo exhibition

entitled "In Memory of 1992, " in which a number of

discarded objects, wrapped up with white cloths, are put in

rows, like bodies. These "bodies" are not an illustration of

the artist's view on humans, but are a literal indication of a

fact that humans' lives and matter circulate. No doubt this

direct and shocking method generates power and overwhelms

people.

There is one last element that moves people in Kariya's

work. After all, his work is positive. At his exhibit at Art

Tower Mito, there was a telescope placed in the last room,

and visitors would peek and see "future" written on the

 

photo: Toshio Kaneko, Nikkei Art Journali

other end. It is nevertheless meaningful to ironically display

atrocities and contradictions happening in this world. However,

I believe that a great work of art has something powerful

and positive at its base regardless of how depressingly

it is expressed. In order to endure doing ongoing ironical

work, an artist must stay essentially positive. But, since

there are so many simple, ironical works in today's contemporary

art, Kariya's work is burdened with the worst atrocities

and discrepancies that the twentieth century (some

would argue, the most pathetic century ever), has generated.

At the same time, his work offers us courage, mercy

and love to directly look at and be aware of this misery. The

work was nurtured from one's personal experiences, but it

secretly breaks through its shell and penetrates our

existence---because

"humans don't die" means "humans are the universe."

 

(Translation by Miki Nishizawa)

 

 

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photo: Saiki Taku

 

100 Bouquets, 100 Candle light, 100 Writings

Installation  and Memorial service were given simulated to real life's events,

but this time for the discarded object.. Installation view at Art Tower Mito roof yard

 

 

Upon exiting the ATM Workshop, return to Room #6 of the

Contemporary Art Gallery, where you must pass under the

"Bandage Gate." This leads you to the works of Hiroshi Kariya,

a production artist residing in New York since 1977.

The current exhibition shows his "Installation 1993," intended

as a record of world events in 1993. For the work, Kariya has

used material from the reports of everyday news, including

newspapers and magazines. He has labeled such a format as

"reportage pictures" and "reportage sculpture." These works

treat the lives of human beings as their main theme, as well

as the record of the traces those leave.

photo: Saiki Taku

 

 

Kariya calls his works "sutras." Indeed, ever since 1997, he

has repeatedly attached the words "is the now" to materials

he collects every day, just as if he were copying sutras in the

fashion of Buddhist monks. These include a broad variety of

items such as wood floating on the Hudson River, waste

material from construction sites, and stones that Kariya has

been picking up piece by piece each day.

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18 drawings video   go to d rawing

photo: Saiki Taku

 

In his "Wall of the World (Bosnia Ripped Apart)" installation,

Kariya has hung a great many blackboards along the wall.

The boards are made of masonite, a common construction

material. Having written the words "is the now" a countless

number of times on the boards, Kariya has termed this work

his "blackboard sutra." The printed words pasted onto the

boards are headlines from newspaper stories, and the articles

themselves are pasted ontothe back. Each board has been

cut to match the size of each article, resulting in different sizes.

The articles are arranged in chronological order from left to

right along the wall, beginning in January 1993 and ending in

December 1993. Here and there, several blackboards are

missing, leaving cloth hanging in their place. These are the

stories about Bosnia, and have been moved to the

brown-colored "Wall of Bosnia" that lies further back.

 

18 drawings video d rawing

photo: Saiki Taku

 

The hanging of boards on a wall is reminiscent of the Japanese

custom of hanging "ema" votive placards at shrines, and

represent wishes or prayers.

 

Lying along the floor is Kariya's work, "That Which Wraps One

Hundred Bodies." As the title indicates, there are one hundred

bodies, alluding to corpses. A blackboard has been attached to

each of the bodies, and an obituary has been pasted on each

board. A requiem sutra has also been written upon each of the

boards.

 

In Kariya's "Stretcher," a photograph has been attached of a

nurse in Sarajevo carrying a bloodstained stretcher. In his

"Girl and Vulture," Kariya has brought together a photograph

of a vulture waiting for the death of a girl on the verge of

starvation, along with a blackboard with stories about famine, etc.

 

Kariya's "Red Cross Wall" and "United Nations Wall" works are

made from materials thrown away from the Hidetoshi

NAGASAWA Exhibition held recently. Looking through the hole

cut through the first work, one can read the words,

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photo: Saiki Taku

 

Red cross Wall (left), UN Wall

Re-assemble of the discarded wall materials from

previous installation Hidetoshi Nagasawa's devided wall materials. Work is related

to Kariya's 1990 ICA Philadelphia Installation: Memory: Ilya Kabakov's Wall

 

"STOP THE BLOODY MURDER." The hole in the second work,

then, appears to be a hole punched into a silhouette of the

Pacific Ocean. His "Desert Wall" comprises blackboards with

photographs of flabbergasted people staring at a flood of the

Mississippi River, and a flood in India.

 

photo: Saiki Taku

 

In his "Turkish Wall," Kariya has highlighted an article about five

Turkish people burned to death. Inscribed on the wall is the

word "Hass," which means "hate" in German.

 

photo: Saiki Taku

The "Protest Wall" contains news photographs of a broad

spectrum of protests: an anti-abortion march in Washington,

D.C.; Bucharest residents opposed to the economic policies

of their government, and demanding funds for AIDS research;

citizens calling for an investigation into the Sagawa Express

scandal in Japan; Buddhists in Cambodia praying for peace;

Americans clamoring to save Bosnia; people anxious about

their future.

 

Walking into Room #7 of the Gallery, we see another of Kariya's

works, "Classroom with a Maze." Near the front of the room is a

surveying instrument with a telescope. The desks and chairs

have been arranged in a way to prevent easy passage as a

maze, so to speak. On the blackboards have been pasted

photograph files, clippings from such magazines as "Time,"

"Life," and "National Geographic," and from such newspapers

as the New York Times and the Asahi Shimbun. In addition,

Kariya has pasted material from books about society, science,

and religion, as well as world maps. The desks and chairs

used by Kariya for this work were borrowed from Mito City,

and had originally come from a school that was closed down.

 

 

At the end, please take a look through the surveying telescope.

You should be able to read something.

 

(on Installation at Art Tower Mito)

By Seiichi Watanabe

 

Translated by Paul T. Narum

 

 

 

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