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Yutaka Matsuzawa “Begin With Vanishment”
Misa Shin Gallery
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Yutaka Matsuzawa
A founder of conceptual art in Japan, Yutaka Matsuzawa is known globally as a pioneer in the field. He began his career in the 1940s creating poems, paintings, and three-dimensional work. At midnight on June 1st, 1964, he was visited with a revelation to “get rid of objects”. After three days of deliberating whether he should create art that rejects relying on objects, on June 4th, Matsuzawa decided to follow his epiphany to create art that is based purely on letters and actions. Since then he has consistently created word-based work, emphasizing the rejection of objects, the extinction of humans, and anti-civilization. The late 60s was also a time period when there was a global trend towards creating art that incorporated literature and various philosophies. Paintings and sculptures were rejected, and replaced by the appearance of conceptual art. Matsuzawa’s work was viewed in line with this trend, yet he distinguished himself from the mainstream Western approach towards conceptual art, referring to his own work as “Kannen Bijutsu” (Notion Art). By relying only on texts and performances as a means of expression, his extreme minimalistic approach embodies a seductiveness and morbid approach towards disappearance. This is expressed and developed in many ways by incorporating concepts such as catastrophe theory, the Philosophies of Mandala of the Two Realms, quantum mechanics, physics and math, and his original vision towards religion and the cosmic universe. At this exhibition, Misa Shin Gallery presents highlights from Matsuzawa’s career spanning over half a century, including drawings, collages created in the late 50s, and his word-based works created post-1964, from “Yutaka Matsuzawa ψBox” (1983) to “ψDead Body, ψRemains, “A Picture Caught in a Postcard,” “A Swan Song” and “The Nine Meditations Chamber”. Fifty years after Matsuzawa’s revelation to “get rid of objects”, this show begins with vanishment in an exploration of the relationship between Art and Concepts.
[Image: Yutaka Matsuzawa “ψDead Body, ψRemains” (1964)]
[Image: Yutaka Matsuzawa “ψDead Body, ψRemains” (1964)]
Schedule | Apr 24 (Thu) 2014-Jun 14 (Sat) 2014 Opening Hours Information
Opening Reception Apr 24 (Thu) 2014 18:00 - 20:00 | ||||
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | http://www.misashin.com/exhibition/begin-with-vanishment/ | ||||
| Venue | Misa Shin Gallery http://www.misashin.com/ | ||||
| Location | 1F 3-9-11 Minami Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047 | ||||
| Access | 11 minute walk from exit 4 at Shirokane-takanawa Station on the Namboku or Toei Mita line, 11 minute walk from exit 1 at Azabu-juban Station on the Namboku or Toei Oedo line, 11 minute walk from exit 1 at Hiroo Station on the Hibiya line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-6450-2334 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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