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Contrast: The photography of Masafumi Sanai
Reviews
Written by Satoshi KOGANEZAWA   
Published: November 13 2009

    As shown in the public offering of the Taro Award, the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art in Kawasaki City, named after Taro Okamoto, has been assertively expanding the range of its activities beyond the realm of a private museum by holding a number of modern art exhibitions, even though it is more than one decade since Okamoto’s death. In 2009, in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the opening of the museum, an exhibition entitled “Contrast: The photography of Masafumi Sanai”, presenting the works of the photographer Masafumi Sanai, was held there.

    This exhibition showed approximately seven hundred examples of Sanai’s photos selected from those included in a photo book issued by the label, Contrast, which Sanai launched recently. It is notable that these selected photos are shown in an uncommon way in this exhibition.
This exhibition showed approximately seven hundred examples of Sanai’s photos selected from those included in a photo book issued by the label, Contrast, which Sanai launched recently. It is notable that these selected photos are shown in an uncommon way in this exhibition.
    The Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, which is composed of a permanent collection exhibition room and a planned exhibition room, makes all viewers first enter from the permanent collection room in which Okamoto’s paintings, sculptures and objets are shown. After this, the viewer then steps into the planned exhibition room. You may have already realized, if you once visited the museum, that the permanent exhibition room has a complex structure which gives the impression of being in a cave. This room (it may also be called “womb”) plays a main role in this museum of reminding viewers of the backgrounds to Okamoto’s thoughts. Therefore, in principle, the contents of planned exhibition are not incorporated in those of the permanent exhibition unless the planned exhibition is on a concept related to Okamoto.

fig. 1 View from the exhibition "Contrast: The photography of Masafumi Sanai" at TARO OKAMOTO MUSEUM of ART, KAWASAKI; courtesy of TARO OKAMOTO MUSEUM of ART, KAWASAKI

fig. 2 View from the exhibition "Contrast: The photography of Masafumi Sanai" at TARO OKAMOTO MUSEUM of ART, KAWASAKI; courtesy of TARO OKAMOTO MUSEUM of ART, KAWASAKI

    Even if the works shown in a planned exhibition and those presented in the permanent exhibition are displayed in the same room, the former which were created by mostly characterless artists, would be swallowed up by the overwhelming energy generated from Okamoto’s works. As a result, the exhibition would end up as a tragic “collaboration”.

    Accordingly, I could not approve of this exhibtion’s manner of display, in which Sanai’s own works are shown at the entrance of the permanent exhibition room.  I’m not sure if Sanai tried to counter Okamoto’s creations which are colored red, but wouldn’t it be too straightforward to show his “Red Car” series together with Okamoto’s works in the permanent exhibit room?  In addition, the series are displayed within frames which are as decorative as those used for Okamoto’s works.  Looking at Sanai’s two exhibits displayed at the entrance of the museum and the first exhibition room, I felt that Sanai had shown an excessive service-mindedness towards Taro Okamoto and the museum.  In other words, I thought Sanai tried to gain the favor from Okamoto and the venue.

    Nevertheless, it turned out that my judgement had been premature.  I noticed that Sanai did not act obsequiously against Okamoto.  Sanai made a seemingly unconnected installation using red and blue acrylic paints. He put it at the corner of the exhibition room, made the whole body of the Okamoto’s“Animal” (RC, 1956), swathed in pictures taken by Sanai and tied it using straps [fig. 1], displayed a photo in front of “Non” (FRP, 1970). Also, in connection with the work, he wrote stories providing a feeling of weakness and showed them on a panel.  These exhibits made me feel as if Sanai has played with Okamoto‘s creations.  He did not confront Okamoto’s works nor present a united front to them, but has enjoyed playing with them.  I felt Sanai used an extremely essential method to establish a relationship with Okamoto.  Thus, it seemed to me that the figures of the “Red Car” series changed into those of animals.

    The exhibition is also noteworthy from other aspects.  After showing his attempt to play with Okamoto’s works in Okamoto’s “home ground”, the permanent exhibition room, Sanai seemed to intend to make viewers play with Sanai’s creations.  In the planned exhibition room, there is nothing to be found displayed on the walls.  There are only four tables.  In contrast to the other exhibition room, this room seems to be very simple. This simplicity is successfully utilized in displaying Sanai’s creations.  What viewers see on the thirteen-meter-long table are photographs taken by Sanai.  The pictures, separated by series, are displayed on the table randomly without having been put in frames.  It is also quite surprising that viewers are allowed to pick them up [fig. 2].  Usually, in museums, we are prohibited from touching exhibits.  But in this exhibition, we are encouraged to touch the artworks displayed in the venue.  On Sanai’s photo displayed on an easel in front of the planned exhibition room, I found the following word “freedom” .

    It is difficult to get used to such an unfamiliar form of display immediately.  At first, we are puzzled as to where we should place our hands which are always clasped behind or in front of our bodies when viewing artworks.  Nevertheless, once you pick up his works, you notice that the act - touching - is supported by a desire which is different to that experienced when looking at something.  In other words, not all things which we wish to touch are those which we want to look at.  In this way, some exhibits which made me feel like touching them were the ones I wanted to look at closely, but also they were those which I wanted to estimate the weight of as well.  I picked up some large-sized photos with both hands as if I were opening a newspaper.

    Sanai’s photographs may not be acceptable to all the viewers since his works seem to represent his own personal tastes as shown in his creations. For example, “EVA NOS”, in which he took pictures of animation characters; “Neon Genesis Evangelion (EVA)”, which uses a pachinko machine (a Japanese pinball game); “DUST”, a photo of the Nishi-Shinjuku, an area which Sanai is himself said to be familiar with. There is also the “The World of Flower Road”, which Sanai created as part of the artworks used for the rock band 100S’s album entitled “The World of Flower Road”.

    Nevertheless, what we feel intensely through touching Sanai’s creations is the fact that there seems to be a close relationship between his works and his daily life. This relationship becomes easier for third parties to accept through the act of picking up his works in their own hands.  Sanai’s photographs are connected with his daily life.  His works are related to his life above anything else.  I realized the close relationship between Sanai’s photos and his life by viewing his creations together with Okamoto’s works, or by enjoying Sanai’s photographs while basking in the afterglow.
(Translated by Nozomi Nakayama)

Related Exhibition
"Contrast: The photography of Masafumi Sanai"
10/Oct/2009 - 11/Jan/2010
Venue: Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki
Last Updated on July 04 2010
 

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