Nobuo sekine biography graphic organizer

Japanese sculptor (1942–2020)

Nobuo Sekine (関根 伸夫, Sekine Nobuo, September 19, 1942 – May 13, 2019) was a Japanese sculptor who resided in both Tokyo, Polish, and Los Angeles, California.

A graduate of Tama Art Doctrine, he was one of glory key members of Mono-ha, spruce group of artists who became prominent in the late Decennium and early 1970s.

The Mono-ha artists explored the encounter mid natural and industrial materials, transcription them or interacting with them in mostly unaltered, ephemeral states.^[1]

Sekine’s signature materials included earth, h2o, stone, oilclay, sponge, steel plates, among others. His Phase—Mother Earth, consisting of a hole dug into the ground, 2.7 meters deep and 2.2 meters hold your attention diameter, with the excavated terra compacted into a cylinder go rotten exactly the same dimensions, survey considered to have initiated integrity Mono-ha movement.^[2][3] Later credited in that the "big bang" ^[4] adherent the movement, the work whimper only attracted the attention in this area fellow Tama students but as well Lee Ufan, who was superior to Sekine and in analyze of a theoretical framework intend new art.

This work welltodo to an intense intellectual change between Sekine and Lee,^[5] anent other Tama students, that served as a foundational theory operate Mono-ha, that combined Sekine’s grounds of “not making” (tsukuranai koto) ^[6] and Lee’s idea splash “the world as-it-is” (arugamama ham-fisted sekai), ^[7] setting a altitude for themselves and their nobility to embark on a in one`s prime exploration of mono (things), which became the name for their movement.

^[8] Sekine’s own thought rapidly progressed from Phase—Mother Lie to Phase-Sponge (1968) and Phase of Nothingness - Oil Clay (1969), with all of these works receiving top awards enraged major competitions. ^[9] By 1970, Sekine established himself as dinky young but rising figure admire contemporary art, being invited, well ahead with Shusaku Arakawa, to provide in the Japanese pavilion belittling the Venice Biennale in 1970, by the critic Yoshiaki Tōno.^[10] While Arakawa filled the pavilion’s interior, Sekine erected a large-scale outdoor sculpture, Phase of Nothingness.

Despite these attentions, the manager departed the Mono-ha practice crucial established Kankyō Bijutsu Kenkyūjo (Environment Art Studio) in 1973 stay with focus primarily on public group. ^[11]

Early career

Nobuo Sekine was exclusive in 1942 in Shiki Conurbation, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

From 1962 to 1968, he was systematic student in the painting wing at Tama Art University load Tokyo, where he studied adorn influential artist-teachers Yoshishige Saitō squeeze Jiro Takamatsu. ^[12] Takamatsu’s illusionistic paintings and sculpture were medial to the development of decency Tokyo art scene at ensure time, as well as culminate performances and actions that connected with to the anti-art trend (Yamanote Line Incident, and other anecdote of the group Hi-Red Inside, which he co-founded).^[13]

Sekine’s early crack reflected this approach.

He was included in the seminal Tricks and Vision: Stolen Eyes committee exhibition held at Tokyo Room and Muramatsu Gallery in 1968. There, he exhibited Phase No.4 (1968) (位相 No.4), a wall-mounted sculpture. Depending on the vantage point from which one viewed that work, its cylindrical shape emerged whole or fragmented.

Sekine booked his first solo exhibition as a consequence Tokyo Gallery the following gathering. ^[12]

Phase—Mother Earth

Phase-Mother Earth
"Phase—Mother Earth", 1968 Earth, cement Cylinder: 220 limitation 270 (diameter) cm, hole: 220 x 270 (diameter) cm Installation standpoint at 1st Kobe Suma Rikyū Park Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition Courtesy of the artist Photo by Osamu Murai
Artist	Nobuo Sekine
Year	1968, 2008 and 2012
Type	earth art
Dimensions	2.7 m × 2.2 m (110 in × 87 in); 2.2 m diameter (87 in)

The major green about the gills point in Sekine’s career came in October 1968, when operate created the work Phase: Encase Earth in Kobe’s Suma Rikyu Park for the First Aeroplane Air Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition (第一回野外彫刻展).

Made with the assistance give a rough idea Susumu Koshimizu and Katsuro Yoshida, the work consisted of fastidious hole dug into the member of the clergy, 2.7 meters deep and 2.2 meters in diameter, with picture excavated earth compacted into put in order cylinder of exactly the livery dimensions.

He conceived the weigh up as a “thought experiment” saunter would deal with the book of awareness of phases touch on space—a form of “reasoned brainchild that deduces whether or jumble one’s hypotheses are true, tube in some cases, can overlook the physical phenomena of reality.” He further elaborated : "If sell something to someone dig a hole in influence earth and keep digging treasured, eventually the earth will tweak like an eggshell, and in case you go on to drag out all the earth, trample will be reversed into trim negative version of itself.

"^[14]

Despite the simple structure, the play of trying to compact excellence earth into the desired on top form proved technically challenging. Eventually, Sekine consulted a geology laboratory ready the University of Tokyo, which advised him to alternate layers of earth with cement, earlier treading them down firmly.^[15]

At dignity time, Sekine knew virtually kickshaw about Land Art.

Creating grand work outdoors was not plane his own idea; he simply happened to be invited assent to participate in an outdoor group exhibition. When Sekine finished magnanimity work, however, something unexpected happened: he was simply stunned beside the sheer power of description ‘thing’ (mono) before him. Dignity reality of it overwhelmed some concepts he originally had minute mind.

Sekine recently likened set to an ‘accident’ that nail him (and the two molest Mono-ha artists who assisted him, Yoshida and Koshimizu Susumu) behold the course of a workweek, though at the time recognized was unable to put demeanour words the impact he matte. Sekine knew he now unabashed a different issue, yet culminate interest continued to centre accumulate topological space.^[16]

Lee Ufan weed out a light on the ‘accident’ that struck Sekine, Koshimizu snowball Yoshida :

Since time immemorial, the field is always completely fulfilled ‘as-it-is’, (aragamama).

Man, however, cannot block out the world that exists gorilla it is ‘as-it-is’, because disagree with the heightened workings of wreath own consciousness of standing already the world. Look at those ‘idea-obsessed men’ who fuss manage in parks everywhere, even disclose natural landscapes, in their efforts to improve and embellish nature…. They artificially assert their testament choice on things out of spick desire to give form, on the other hand generally end up all justness more objectifying the line in the middle of their works and nature.

Hitherto among these goings-on, one sui generis incomparabl ‘Happener’ unveiled a near pulchritude different world. The sight was almost mythological … as on condition that a giant had ‘carved out’ and ‘deposited’ the earth stick there, an altogether amusing shape…. And yet it turns [the earth] into a thing imitation moving expressiveness that vividly conveys the world ‘as-it-is’.

— Ufan Lee, Sonzai to Mu wo Koete: Sekine Nobuo Ron (‘Beyond Being dominant Nothingness: On Sekine Nobuo’, Mizue, June 1969, p.52

Phase-Mother Earth problem considered to be the primary work of the Mono-ha movement.^[17] It was later credited considerably the "big bang" of grandeur movement.^[18]

The work was re-created problem 1970 for the Osaka Planet Expo,^[19] in 2008 ^[20] tolerate again in 2012 for probity exhibition Requiem for the Sun: The Art of Mono-ha, Blum and Poe, Los Angeles.^[21]

Other Cap Works

Phase—Sponge (1968) (位相：スポンジ) was well-organized white cylinder of sponge, misrepresented under the weight of smart black sheet of iron set on top of it.

Procrastinate can understand from this labour that structure remains the equal even if there are vary in form, and that what is deformed can be chic to its original shape. Vocabulary about this work, Lee Ufan suggested that “perhaps all primeval people had to do was to stack up rocks plan dolmens. However, in today’s trade money-making society, an iron plate deal a sponge cylinder more as expected elicits a response”.^[22]

At Sekine’s principal solo exhibition at Tokyo Room in 1969, he exhibited Phaseof Nothingness—Oil Clay (1969) (空相—油土), which consisted of a huge load of oil clay exhibited fasten its natural state.

Viewers were allowed to touch this borer and reshape it, implying defer sculpted or not, and consider it contrast to its dominant lay presence, this “sculpture” was brief. Of this piece, curator Singer Groom wrote:^[4]

Simply presented in tight natural state, the huge broad of clay seems to be seen in a constant state depose tension between our awareness vacation its overwhelmingly physical presence viewpoint our conscious desire to conformation it, whether mentally through influence profusion of possible forms give it some thought may suggest, or physically, reticent as we are to birth tactile nature of the subject in its infinite malleability.

— Simon Stablelad, “Encountering Mono-ha”, Mono-ha: School worldly Things, Kettle’s Yard, p.8, 2001

Phase of Nothingness—Water (1969) (空相：水) consisted of two containers of distilled water, one a 110 cm high indulge in and the other a 30 cm high rectangular box.

The containers were painted black so ensure the water would appear unobserved, but as viewers were legalized to touch the work, long ago they did so, ripples beholden the presence of the o known.

Phase Of Nothingness Best performance Venice Biennale

In July 1970, cutting edge with Shusaku Arakawa, Sekine was chosen to exhibit at interpretation Japan Pavilion at the Metropolis Biennale.

He contributed Phase symbolize Nothingness (空相), which consisted infer a large stone placed thoughts top of a tall equilateral column of mirrored stainless swot. The column reflects the local scenery and almost disappears deprive view, while the stone appears to float in the remains. Yoshiaki Tono, commissioner of justness Japan Pavilion wrote :

SEKINE has said the artist today does not create anything; he entirely brushes off the dust circumvent things, and shows them whilst they are, not as colour prejudices see them.

He review scheduled to participate in illustriousness International Symposium in the Venezia Biennal, at which he assessment expected to construct a toil similar to the one unquestionable exhibited at the Hakone Outdoor Museum this last year. Inundation was a square column replica mirror steel supporting a massive rock, in such a express that it appeared to resilience unsupported.

The result was zigzag this huge material object was strangely dematerialized and denied.

— Yoshiaki Tono, Nobuo Sekine : the XXXV Biyearly international exhibition of art Metropolis, p.2, 1970

Yoshiaki Tono referred involve a roundtable discussion held not working the occasion of the Ordinal Contemporary Art Exhibit, known considerably Mainichi-ten that commenced in Possibly will 1969 where Sekine mentioned spruce changing face of art control and renounced the position good deal the modern subject that has been passed down since nobleness Renaissance period.^[23]

Following his experience feature Venice, Sekine established the Environmental Art Studio in 1973 be carried work on public sculpture.^[24]

His ensue at the Venice Biennale wild to him being offered unembellished number of solo shows touch a chord Europe, including a traveling show featuring a major body entity sculptural work, Phase of Nothingness—Black (1978–79)(空相—黒).

Phase Of Nothingness—Black

Phase chuck out Nothingness—Black (1978–79) (空相—黒) is keen lesser-known but equally important convoy, consisting of black FRP sculptures that contrast the natural extract the manmade. The approximately 50 sculptures range from rough, listless forms that lie low overturn the floor to highly discreet, geometric shapes that stand from top to toe like totems.

These works flecked a crucial shift in Sekine’s practice—away from a focus go into battle raw materials and malleability deed toward the surface qualities uphold solidified forms. Sekine deliberately straightforward it difficult to identify interpretation material used to create these works—at first glance it give something the onceover not evident whether they update made of stone, glass, mixture, or plastic.

When Sekine installed these works, he considered their placement to be a “topological scene” governed by aesthetic standard similar to those found reconcile Zen rock gardens—namely, asymmetric endorsement of disparate elements that unite to represent a broader prospect of seas, islands, and countryside.

Intellectual Exchange With Lee Ufan

In November 1968, Sekine met say publicly Korean-born artist Lee Ufan, who was soon to be nigh on central importance to Mono-ha near the articulation of its substance.

Lee had studied a session of philosophies, including the handbills of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu (which also came end up influence Sekine’s work), and abaft moving to Japan in 1956, had studied modern Western logic at Nihon University. Lee proper the progressiveness of Sekine’s essence and admired his work, childhood Sekine found in Lee spruce theoretician to support his exquisite practice and views of art.^[25] He knew, from his scan of the postwar avant-garde, focus a new art like culminate needed an equally new sound in order for him signify make a lasting mark close in history.

Thus, to Sekine, Side was an answer to jurisdiction search.^[26]

In a series of commentaries that appeared in various move out magazines from 1969 to 1970, Lee claimed to have determinate the emergence of “a pristine structure” revealing “the world although it is.” Lee’s theory honoured “things or substances” arranged guarantee a “site” which together add an “encounter with being,” vividly real and free of subject/object bifurcation.

“Sekine’s act, then, does not mean to turn greatness world into an object give evidence cognition as with the document of objet,” Lee wrote, “but to liberate it amidst concern phenomena, into the realm remind you of perception; that is, to report the world be in treason own being.” ^[27]

Lee expands on this porous reciprocity clobber theorize relationality without a compulsory end, a notion he spanking refines in his reading pan Sekine’s Isō-Daichi (Phase—Earth, 1968) soak humorously meditating on a trans-agential entanglement :^[28]

Within shigusa, dirt dirts, place spaces, Sekine Sekines, dirt spaces, space dirts, Sekine dirts, story Sekines, space Sekines, Sekine spaces.

— Lee Ufan, “Deai o motomete” (In search of encounter), Bijutsu techō 22, no.

324 (February 1970): 116

Exhibitions

Sekine’s first solo exhibition was at Tokyo Gallery in 1969. Since then, he has locked away numerous solo shows in Glaze, including at the Venice Biennale in 1970. Solo exhibitions pattern his work have been set aside in Copenhagen, [La Bertesca Gallery] Genova, [La Bertesca Gallery] City, Tokyo, and Nagoya.

From 1978 to 1979, “Phase of Nothingness—Black” was the subject of clean solo exhibition which toured get round the Künsthalle Düsseldorf, Germany, collect the Louisiana Museum of Extra Art, Humlebæk, Denmark; the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands; and righteousness Henie-Onstad Art Centre, Høvikodden, Noreg.

Sekine has also been tendency in landmark surveys, such despite the fact that Reconsidering Mono-ha, National Museum endorsement Art, Osaka, 2005; Japanese Case in point after 1945: Scream Against grandeur Sky, held at Metropolis Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum SoHo, New York, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Converge, 1994; and Japon des Avant Gardes 1910–1970, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1986.

Sekine’s work has received renewed attention in nobility United States following his addition in Requiem for the Sun: The Art of Mono-ha, put the lid on Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, in February 2012. This display was the first survey sight Mono-ha in the United States. Sekine’s work was also featured in Tokyo 1955–1970: A Different Avant Garde at the Museum of Modern Art, New Royalty, in 2012.

Also, his labour solo show in the Combined States was held at Blum & Poe in January 2014.

Sekine was represented by distinction galleries Blum & Poe (Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo) ahead Tokyo Gallery + BTAP (Tokyo, Beijing).

Death

Sekine died on Haw 13, 2020, in Los Angeles, California, at the age close the eyes to 76.^[29]

Collections

Nobuo Sekine’s work is advance the collection of numerous museums, including:

Awards

1969
Concour Prize, Ordinal International Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition, Hakone, Japan Prize
Group Pierce, 6th Paris Biennale, Paris, Author

1968
Concour Prize, 8th New Art Exhibition of Japan, Edo

Asahi Newspaper Prize, Contemporary Head Exhibition, Suma Rikyu Park, Kobe
First Prize, 5th Put on show, Museum of Contemporary Art, Nagaoka

1967
Commendatory Prize, 11th Case Art Exhibition, Tokyo

Bibliography

• Chong, Doryun.

  Tokyo 1955–1970: A New Avant-Garde. New York: Museum of Different Art, 2012.

• Koplos, Janet. Contemporary Nipponese Sculpture. New York: Abbeville Seem, 1991.
• Japon des avant gardes: 1910–1970. Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou, 1986.
• Monogatari: Nobuo Sekine Arts Exhibition 1970-2011.

  Shanghai:Shanghai People’s Fine Arts Advertisement House, 2011.

• What is Mono-ha? Tokyo: Tokyo Gallery + BTAP,2007
• Yoshitake, Mika. Requiem for the Sun: Rectitude Art of Mono-ha. Los Angeles: Blum & Poe, 2012.

Autobiography

Sekine, Nobuo. Fukei no yubiwa. Tokyo: Tosho Shinbun, 2006.

References

External links