photo: SAIKI Taku
Untitled (Karaku)
| Artist | NAKAGAWA Yukio |
|---|---|
| Year | 1984 |
| Material/ Technique | flower liquid, seed on Japanese paper |
| Size/ Duration | H135 × W135cm |
| Copyright Notice | © NAKAGAWA Yukio |
| Year of acquisition/ donation | 2005（作品購入年月日：2005/03/31） |
| Description | Born in Kagawa, Japan in 1918. Died there in 2012. Around the age of 23, Nakagawa Yukio studied ikebana (flower arrangement) with his aunt, who belonged to the Ikenobo School. A collection of works that Nakagawa sent to "Ikebana Geijutsu" magazine in 1949 was commended by landscape architect SHIGEMORI Mirei, and Nakagawa subsequently joined Shigemori’s ikebana research group ‘Hakutosha.’ Nakagawa left Ikenobo School in 1951. After he moved to Tokyo in 1956, he did not belong to any organization or school, and pursued ikebana on his own without taking any disciple. His solo exhibition entitled “Karaku” held in Ginza in 1984 was well received. Along with his avant-garde and revolutionary approach to flowers, the artist created glassworks and calligraphy. Having been influenced by late photographer DOMON Ken, he also takes photographs. Awarded the 2nd Oribe Award in 1999 and the 11th Japan Arts Council Prize in 2004. Nakagawa’s “Karaku” series was first shown in his solo exhibition at Ginza Jiyugaoka Gallery in 1984. He dropped extracted flower essence on calligraphic paper and placed many watersoaked sponges over it. The color of the flower essence was dark at first, but as time passed by, it changed to bright purple, blue and then brown on paper. He extracts flower sap to represent flowers and fixes its hidden colors on paper. This act indicates that he is trying to grasp the true nature of flowers, confronting the roots of life in flowers by using his body. "Untitled (Karaku)" is the largest-scale piece in the series. Blurred colors of flower sap that spread all over the picture like a magnificent big flower symbolize vitality together with black seeds left here and there. "Sacred Book" is a photographic work in which the moment when half-rotten carnation sap oozed out on calligraphic paper under the weight of glass was photographed. This piece in which he exposed the last brilliance of the dying flower in the combination of his glasswork shows the similar course of creation as "Hanabozu", his most important work. |
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.