photo: SAIKI Taku
Eight Branches of Hair on Fire
| Artist | Rebecca HORN |
|---|---|
| Year | 1993 |
| Material/ Technique | eight knives, eight brushes, metal construction, motor |
| Size/ Duration | H235 × W49 × D29.5cm |
| Copyright Notice | © Rebecca HORN |
| Year of acquisition/ donation | 2004（作品購入年月日：2004/03/31） |
| Description | Born in Michelstadt, Germany in 1944. Lives and works in Berlin. For three years from around 1968, Rebecca Horn had to spend time recuperating from a lung problem caused by the synthetic material she used to make sculptures at art school. It was this experience of loneliness and isolation from the outside world that gave rise to her performances in the early 1970s, which involved wearing items that extended or restricted the body, including objects made of feathers, wings, and masks. This consciousness of the yearning for communication and intimacy in the form of touching and of the fragility of the human body and the need to protect it is also explored in her videos, films, and three-dimensional works. As well as installations that reflect on things like memories that have been erased from society or history and grief, in recent years Horn has also presented works that use words, lighting and music created in collaboration with musicians to inquire into the spiritual realm and the cycles of nature. Eight knives attached to metal rods are lined up side by side with the tips of their blades pointing upwards, with a brush positioned above each knife so that the bristles point downwards. The knives slowly move up and down in turn, creating a gentle wave motion. As a result, each knife in turn stabs the bristles of the brush above. The title hints at the fear of flickering flames approaching branches of hair. Here, the knives and brushes are robbed of their original functions and turned into abstract symbols. The hardness of the metal and the sharpness of the blades that can also be used as weapons, the hair, which is soft and also a metaphor for eternity, and the repetition, subtlety, and gentle speed of the mechanical stabbing motion all stimulate the viewers’ sensuality. |
NOTES
This Collection Data page contains the works and materials in the collection of 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, as of April 1, 2018.
Artists are listed alphabetically by artist’s surname.
Works and materials by the same artists are listed according to the date of the work in principle.
Works whose dates are unidentified are listed at the end of each item. Some works are not listed according to the date of work due to their relations.
The data of works and materials are listed in order of title, production year, material/technique/form, dimensions, donor’s name, copyright holder and credit for photograph.
Dimensions are given by height (H) x width (W) in centimeters for plane work, and height (H) x width (W) x depth (D) in cm for 3-D work. Diameter (Ø) is used for circular work.
For the name of country or city, the name currently used in English is listed in principle.