By zmawamz
Posted in Exhibition
2018.3.20(Tue) 〜 3.28(Wed) at ANAGRA Tokyo
The Reconstruction of Identity / oil paint on canvas / 100cm x 100cm / 2017
作家MAはホモサピエンスとして生を得、この３３年間を進んできた。２０万年前に東アフリカで誕生したホモサピエンスの末裔である彼がアートの基底的主題として特権的に採用するのは「東京」「資本主義」「人間」という種の概念についてである。2018年、現在のこの国において、“いま・ここ”において生起するあらゆる社会現象の、不可欠の条件として列挙されるこれらの主題たちは、それぞれ歴史的偶有物でありながら、普遍性の“ツラ”をして、万人の不文律として機能する。そのような受容を、主体に強いる。願わくば、すべての主体＝臣下がそれを自ら欲望するように。悪的であるから、という理由で対象から距離を置くのが、臆病なアーティスト、一般アーティストである。 MAが彼の人格的嗜好としてそれを悪とするのか、それは不明だ。ともかくそれを対象化し、「それにしても現代はどうなっているのだ」というラディカルな問いに対して現状の構造をダイアグラム＝図式化し、再び絵画という支持体に現勢化させる。厄介な現代世界の欲望の略式図を美的配列＝アレンジメントに転移する。社会の本質は欲望のダイアグラムに現れる。それは力の拮抗、反発、摩擦、混淆を、線の勾配や色彩や角度、順列、関係性で描くことであり、そもそもそれこそ絵画の本性でなかったか。すぐれた絵画は欲望のせめぎ合い、つまり離脱と降下と硬化……を表現する。現代であれば、資本と人間と地政である。この主題にとらわれない天然系の天才は、一発当たるのを無人島で待つべきだ。?
The artist, MA, born as a homo sapiens, has evolved for the last 33 years. As a descendant of homo sapiens, born 200,000 ago in east Africa, what he exclusively adopts as the basic subject of his art is concepts such as “Tokyo”, “capitalism” and “humanity”. In 2018 in Japan such subjects are seen as indispensable in any social phenomena occurring the “now” and the “here”, however, although they are historical accidents, they are presented as “universal” to function as unspoken rules of people. Or they force the subject to submit hoping all the subjects, servants, to want them actively. Because of the evil of such an object, cowardly artists, which mean general artists, stay away from it. We never know whether MA decides it an evil as his personal taste. Anyway, he objectifies the ideas and answers the radical question of “What’s going on in this world?” by putting the current structure into a diagram to actualise in a supporting body, a painting. He transforms a rough sketch of the complexities of modern world’s desires into a beautiful arrangement. The true nature of the social looms in the diagram of desires. That is to paint the fight of powers, resistance, frictions, chaos with nuanced lines, colours, angles, orders and relevance, but isn’t it what painting were all about in the first place? Good paintings expose fights of desires, that is to say, breaking away, descending and hardening. In the modern world, they are the capital, humans and local politics. Natural-born geniuses who are not restrained by those subjects should wait for a wonder in a desert island.
in the studio in 2018
The main artwork of this exhibition, the latest series “The Reconstruction of Identity (2017-2018)” repeat “deconstruction” and “construction” to cast the ceaselessly transforming city of Tokyo to a recipient of plastic surgeries. Body (city) and content of the subject, the identity as a container become reciprocal and body (city) can be an opportunity to change the identity of a plastic surgery recipient. Needless to say, the inversions happen on a daily basis. As the subject is affected by the object, vis versa, the object is influenced and transformed by the subject. A woman who received a plastic surgery done body (city) says “I’ve become a happier person” nonchalantly in a beautifully collaged face. Number of disharmonies such as “the wiggles of cells composing the inner world of a body” born in the process of reconstruction of identity and its music’s evil quality rather mesmerises the listener to be irresistible, all of which lead to a presentation of torn desires. In the paintings of desolate buildings left by the burst of bubble economy in the series “UNCLEAR COLLAPE” (2016) and 20 paintings focused on consumption, media ads, inorganic city and people “SPECIAL CAPITAL” (2013-2015), you will see the consistency of the artist’s concept which dominates the “now” and the “here”, “quasi-universality”.
The artwork of MA is a warning to unconsciously being bound to values rules by the society of us homo sapiens. It’s an agitated provocation to us with phrases such as “burst of shallow and ugly evilness”, “you like this sort of thing?”, “you will get helpless although you know it’s bullshit”, “that’s a scheme too, not necessarily a bad one”. We don’t need any more of “different interpretations by viewers”, they just represent the failure of the past. MA urges you to choose. There are no options. One question. Will you buy options or will you transform options to living things?
MA [em-ei]
1985年 日本生まれ 東京在住 2012年2月24日の自身の誕生日に初個展“BORN IN JAPAN”[F*** you, I won?t do what you tell me ]を活動の声明とし開催して以来、国内外で活動をする。近年は一貫したテーマ「東京」「資本主義」「人間」を元に作品を描きながらも、いわゆる“ジャンル”や“様式”に囚われることなく、表現の幅を拡張しつつ、深度を下げている。
MA was born in 1985 in Japan and lives in Tokyo.Since his first solo exhibition opened on 24 Feb 2012, “BORN IN JAPAN” with the statement “F*** you, I won’t do what you tell me”, he has worked both in Japan and abroad. Recently, he has been painting with a focus on the consistent themes, “Tokyo”, “capitalism” and “humanity”, never restrained by so-called “genre” or “style”, he expands the scope of expressions and deepens it.
Opening Reception 3.24(Sat) 18:00 〜
GUEST DJ : Zodiak
レセプションイベントのみ入場料500円(+1DRINK)
Only the Reception entrance fee ?500(+1DRINK)
レセプション来場者にはMAステッカープレゼント。どなたでもご参加いただけます。
2018.3.20(Tue) 〜 3.28(Wed)
開館時間 平日 : 15:00-22:00 土・日・祝日 : 14:00-21:00
Gallery hours Weekday : 15:00-22:00 Holiday : 14:00-21:00
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