Osamu Mori "Twister"
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Artists
Osamu Mori
This is the second solo exhibition of sculptor Osamu Mori, titled “Twister.” Alongside a collection of new works, the exhibition will showcase a work that has been acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Australia, albeit for the first half of the exhibition.
Mori’s artwork has long been reflecting a vast chronology, ranging from American pop icons to the traditional classic sculpture context. With the boundless exploration of these elements, Mori prompts viewers to question fundamental aspects such as the essence of beauty, symbolic interpretations, and consciousness.
The centerpiece of this exhibition comprises two monumental sculptures. Their towering height approaches the record-breaking 272 cm, which is the tallest documented height of a human being. Mori describes them as expressions of “the maximum scale of beauty within the physical range of the human form.” These sculptures are made possible by the use of trees with a near-record age of approximately 120 years, representing the oldest recorded living beings. Mori, who has persisted in creating large-scale works, explains, “In an era where we can easily pinch images with our fingertips through screens, the sense of altering scale has become commonplace in our lives. As we spend increasingly more time living within the world confined to screens, it becomes essential to experience the true scale of reality.”
Amidst the commemoration of the 800th anniversary of Unkei, the sculptor who worked on statues ranging from small Buddhist figures to colossal ones, Mori, living in an age where he benefits from digital technology while creating sculptures approaching 3 meters in size, feels a stronger sense of inevitability.
Mori’s works encapsulate various phenomena in a twisted state, encompassing the materiality of the materials used, as well as the evolution and values of beauty from classical sculptures to pop icons. One of the distinctive characteristics of Mori’s artistic process is improvisation. While there is a certain envisioned form during the creation process, Mori continuously introduces “twists”, overturning and transforming elements (parts) to disrupt the planned harmony (initial completion) and gradually progresses towards the final form.
Mori’s unique aesthetic is evident in the determination of these “finished forms”. Beyond the realm of art, the artist’s beliefs regarding the perception of popular “beauty” are also portrayed. “When I watch footage of Marilyn Monroe from the 50s, I acknowledge that she is certainly beautiful. However, when actors or comedians perform Marilyn Monroe cosplay or impersonations, it sometimes feels as though they fit the image of Marilyn Monroe better than the person herself. I believe there is potential for beauty in this caricatured distortion of beauty." Mori is captivated by situations (shapes) that are easier to recognize and perceive as authentic, even more so than authentic states themselves, and this fascination is reflected in his work.
Concerning artificiality, Mori quotes Masaharu Gotoh’s book “It is difficult to quantify the ‘realm of beauty’ where players in the final stages of a game of Shogi, realizing their defeat, aim to create a beautiful resignation composition by moving pieces a few more times.” Mori explains, while faced with the mass and form of natural objects, one may feel overwhelmed by their overwhelming presence. Nonetheless, as a sculptor, the artist hopes to explore the realm of beauty through the process of giving form to these objects. Furthermore, he believes that even as digital technology advances more rapidly than ever, the more we limit our techniques, the more we can express the aesthetic sense unique to humans.
In an age where uniform beauty no longer exists and diversity is sought after, Mori challenges us to question what “beauty” truly is, who it is for, and how it can be expressed.
Mori’s artwork has long been reflecting a vast chronology, ranging from American pop icons to the traditional classic sculpture context. With the boundless exploration of these elements, Mori prompts viewers to question fundamental aspects such as the essence of beauty, symbolic interpretations, and consciousness.
The centerpiece of this exhibition comprises two monumental sculptures. Their towering height approaches the record-breaking 272 cm, which is the tallest documented height of a human being. Mori describes them as expressions of “the maximum scale of beauty within the physical range of the human form.” These sculptures are made possible by the use of trees with a near-record age of approximately 120 years, representing the oldest recorded living beings. Mori, who has persisted in creating large-scale works, explains, “In an era where we can easily pinch images with our fingertips through screens, the sense of altering scale has become commonplace in our lives. As we spend increasingly more time living within the world confined to screens, it becomes essential to experience the true scale of reality.”
Amidst the commemoration of the 800th anniversary of Unkei, the sculptor who worked on statues ranging from small Buddhist figures to colossal ones, Mori, living in an age where he benefits from digital technology while creating sculptures approaching 3 meters in size, feels a stronger sense of inevitability.
Mori’s works encapsulate various phenomena in a twisted state, encompassing the materiality of the materials used, as well as the evolution and values of beauty from classical sculptures to pop icons. One of the distinctive characteristics of Mori’s artistic process is improvisation. While there is a certain envisioned form during the creation process, Mori continuously introduces “twists”, overturning and transforming elements (parts) to disrupt the planned harmony (initial completion) and gradually progresses towards the final form.
Mori’s unique aesthetic is evident in the determination of these “finished forms”. Beyond the realm of art, the artist’s beliefs regarding the perception of popular “beauty” are also portrayed. “When I watch footage of Marilyn Monroe from the 50s, I acknowledge that she is certainly beautiful. However, when actors or comedians perform Marilyn Monroe cosplay or impersonations, it sometimes feels as though they fit the image of Marilyn Monroe better than the person herself. I believe there is potential for beauty in this caricatured distortion of beauty." Mori is captivated by situations (shapes) that are easier to recognize and perceive as authentic, even more so than authentic states themselves, and this fascination is reflected in his work.
Concerning artificiality, Mori quotes Masaharu Gotoh’s book “It is difficult to quantify the ‘realm of beauty’ where players in the final stages of a game of Shogi, realizing their defeat, aim to create a beautiful resignation composition by moving pieces a few more times.” Mori explains, while faced with the mass and form of natural objects, one may feel overwhelmed by their overwhelming presence. Nonetheless, as a sculptor, the artist hopes to explore the realm of beauty through the process of giving form to these objects. Furthermore, he believes that even as digital technology advances more rapidly than ever, the more we limit our techniques, the more we can express the aesthetic sense unique to humans.
In an age where uniform beauty no longer exists and diversity is sought after, Mori challenges us to question what “beauty” truly is, who it is for, and how it can be expressed.
Schedule | May 27 (Sat) 2023-Jul 11 (Tue) 2023 Opening Hours Information
Opening Reception May 26 (Fri) 2023 18:00 - 21:00 | ||||
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://parceltokyo.jp/exhibition/twister/ | ||||
| Venue | Parcel http://parceltokyo.jp/ | ||||
| Location | 1F DDD hotel, 2-2-1 Nihombashi, Bakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0002 | ||||
| Access | 1 minute walk from exit C4 at Bakurocho Station on the JR Sobu line, 5 minute walk from the East exit of Asakusa-bashi Station on the JR Chuo Sobu line, 5 minute walk from exit A2 at Asakusa-bashi Station on the Toei Asakusa line. |
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