Page 28 - Horizon04

28 Takesada Matsutani
A Conversation with Matsutani
by Ellen Turner Hall
Matsutani
is a a a a a a a a a a a a a small neat man dressed in a a a a a a a a a a a a a charcoal wool sweater and trousers a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a dark blue scarf tied at at his neck He sits on a a a a a a a a a a a a a small square wooden stool His His face is is is is ani- mated as as he he talks His His hands also: to to illus- trate his ideas he he he he lovingly places an an imagi- nary sheet of of white paper on on the low table in in in front of of him and and takes an an an invisible pen- cil in in in his hand He pauses to ask “You un- derstand?” And of course you do because that is the the the essential Matsutani: To commu- nicate the the the extraordinary with the the the simplest and most basic tools M: My work is mostly black and white white I I use use pencils on white white surfaces I I I use use wood glue to make make shapes Every day I I I work 4 hours I I make make each line one at a a a a a a a a a a time The The pencil in in in my hand changes physically The The point wears down as I I use it It takes a a a a a a a lot of time My work is an an an interrogation: What can I I do with with one one pencil and and one one paper? So I I I start 1 line line 2 lines and and and with with time I I have a a a a a a a a a a large band of of black the the the bigger the the the surface the the the more interesting It takes a a a a a a lot of of time time I I feel so free in in in in that time Children in in in Japan Japan at at at at New Year write wishes in in in Japanese calligraphy water-based matt surface on rice paper I have lived in in in Paris for 50 years but inside me is is always a a a a a a a a a a a a little Japan its traditions and customs I I I always loved drawing When I I I was 13 I I I had had tuberculosis At that time in in in in the the 1950s in in in in Japan there was no medicine So I I had had to stay in in in in bed I I I I looked at at the the the wooden beams on the the ceiling and I I I I drew That’s when I I I I de- cided to to be an an artist I I I I I copied masterpieces I I I I took a a a a a a a a a class in in figure drawing At 19 I I I I de- cided to to give up school and I I I I still have a a a a a a a a a complex about my my lack of of education but I I read a a a a a a a a lot of of literature and educated my- self Matsutani
shows photographs of of 3 of of his early works:
The first from 1956 is is a a a a a a a figurative painting of of sharply rising mountain cliffs and trees below The second dated 1958 is is a a a a a a a a a a a series of of of abstract shapes dominated by a a a a a a a a a a pair of of eyes which Matsutani
tells me is “the sick- ness” In 1959 we see a a a a a a a a human figure arms and legs pushing the the borders of the the canvas “This is is life breaking out ” M: I went to Osaka and joined the Gutai group which was against Japanese formali- ty ty seeking freshness new directions Curi- osity I learned from Gutai My master told me me to to to stop copying and make something never done before I discovered liquid glue and and loved its or- ganic look and and feel like blood samples seen through a a a a a a a a microscope I made 3-di- mensional shapes with the the the glue and then on on their surfaces I drew my lines People see just black but there is white between
the lines The The empty empty space is is not not empty empty The The flat flat surface is not flat flat Matsutani’s conversation is is is full of such paradoxical statements Within his self-im- posed formal discipline everything is is is or- ganic and subject to change M:I lived and worked in in in Japan for 29 years Something remains: One sheet of pa- per one black mark on on an an empty space This is is the most important Here he takes my squared pad turns to a a a a a a a a a a a blank page and makes a a a a a a a a a a a a a mark like an an an elon- gated “6” on on its side “This “This is is is is Yohaku ” ” he says solemnly “This “This empty space is is is is impor- tant because of of the mark I make ” This declaration of of of faith approaches the the the es- sence of of of Matsutani’s work Like the the lines from Wallace Stevens’ “The Idea of of Order at at Key West”:
But it was was she she she and not the the the sea we heard For she she she was was the the the maker of the the the song she she she sang The ever-hooded tragic-gestured sea Was merely a a a a a a place by which she walked to sing It is is the the the the act of marking the the the the paper singing the the the the the notes writing the the the the the poem which is is im- portant portant because because it it it fills the the the the emptiness emptiness And the the emptiness emptiness is is important because because it it it i
is is filled with possibility In 1966 Matsutani
won a a a a a a a a grant to study in Paris This was This his first time away from home Matsutani
sought out the English engraver Stanley William Hayter who took him in in in and insisted he go to to French class- es Matsutani
worked in in in in Hayter’s studio for four years eventually becoming his assis- tant Hayter’s reputation brought many artists from all
over the world to his his stu- dio There Matsutani
met his his American wife Kate a a a a sculptor M: No money no special materials but we did important work with very simple things His simple things? Materials: paper and graphite pencil Sumi ink vinyl glue Forms: line and and and circle blob and and and bubble Color: black and and and white Technique: repeti- tion of gesture Like the strict formal demands of of a a a a a a a a a haiku poem or or or a a a a a a a a a a a a Shakespearean sonnet Matsu- tani’s self-imposed rules lead to extraordi- nary freedom of of expression and a a a a a a a a dance with the music of of chance In 2001 for “Stream Konishi House”:
M: I I rubbed Sumi ink ink (solid Chinese ink) over the top of of a a a a a block of of stone I I filled a a a a a cotton bag with water water and suspended it it over the the the the the stone stone When the the the the the water water drips onto the the the the the stone stone the the the the the sound becomes part of the the the the the installation with people all
all
around watch- ing The drops cannot be calculated Also
by chance the the the floor was inclined so the the the drips and splash of ink onto the the the the canvas be- low flow low started to to to flow away from the the the the stone fol- lowing the the fall of the the floor Communication of of his his ideas is is is the main subject of of o his his installations These perfor- mance pieces often involve children whose spontaneity and lack o of pretension Matsu- tani
shares M: Kids just do do it i
They don’t worry about art There is no block to creativity In 2011 for an installation called “Around the the Circle” at at at Galeria Horizon in in Colera on on on the the the Spanish coast Matsutani
collected stones from the the beach He placed each each stone stone on on on on a a a a a a a a blank A4 paper set in in a a a a a a a a circle on on on on the the the floor with him in in the the the middle and chil- dren on on on the the the outside Each one was given a a a a a a brush dipped in in ink and asked to to connect the the stones Some youngsters used the the rocks as percussion instruments This kind of of in- fectious creative event is is a a a a a source of of delight for Matsutani
For the the Venice Biennial in 2017
Matsutani
Matsutani
created a a a a a a a a a work which deconstructs the the tra- ditional calligraphy of his youth A sus- pended white canvas filled with black ink drips slowly onto a a a a a a a wooden sphere The overall impression is of an ageless shrine M: One day I will will be finished finished When my life is is is is is finished finished the the the drops will will go on But this dropping dropping is is is is for for the the the future for for another space That’s That’s my my idea Dropping dropping dropping dropping dropping That’s That’s my my infinity In keeping with the the theme of of this edition of of Outer Horizons I I ask Matsutani
about his his idea of the spiritual in art M: Spirituality? We are looking for a a a a a pur- pose To make the ordinary so so it’s not so so or- dinary dinary I I use myself myself my my my life I I am
very seri- ous about myself myself Drawing is a a a a a a a a kind of meditation it it needs time time and patience Sometimes I listen to to music: Schubert Bee- thoven Mozart Trying to to do – that that is is is the the idea idea It’s the the idea idea that that that is is important No ex- planation but some people feel it and and that’s my purpose You understand?”
Takesada Matsutani
Artist
Born in Osaka Japan currently living in in Paris