Pneumatic Thoughts
Akihito Nakanishi (U.S. Embassy, Tokyo)
There are moments when one feels a comfortable tension within.
Tensions experienced immediately before facing a crowd and those
connoted in sacred domains such as shrines and temples are prime examples and yet, are not creatures on their own.
They are created by human psyche, either by recognizing extrinsic beings other than oneself, or an act of “something” sensory that does not belong to any absolute yard-sticks.
The surfaces of Fujiwara’s works depicting underwater lotus stems in geometric posture are not a simple sketch with a modern perspective depth, but rather, it is more akin to an illustration of celestial motions and other natural bodies observed in primitive religions, constituting a graceful interplay of peace and anxiety.
With the purposely cut-out flowers and leaves that make up the botanical entirety, the photo works seem to capture the very genesis of life itself to explore the deep psyche of humanity.
Entitled “Nuema”, that in Greek (ancient Greek: pneuma) signifies “wind” and “breathe” stemming from “Soul and/or Spirit” in ancient terms, the exhibition symbolizes Neuma as in a group of musical notes to be sung, and appears to indicate the metaphysical dialogue between the spectator and works, creating multiple visual rhythms across the exhibition room. Similarly, the notion of medieval Neuma score contrasts vividly with Fujiwara’s visual experimentations of collaged memories as the score is typically performed through phonetic collages of different notes.
While the collage technique per se of camera snippets of emotional scenery, rather than of straight observations of subject matters or
phenomena, can be seen as belonging to the conventional methodology, the almost portrait-like quality, depth and intensity embodied
throughout the show represent a new realm of artistic faith being created through the traumatic experiences of the 3/11 disasters.
Without further ado, off we go, to an ideological equilibrium of tension and peace.