LINE(N)

The artworks of Yoriko Takabatake can be viewed from two aspects: material and structure.
In the past few years, there has been a growing interest in the use of natural forces such as wind, water, fire, and magnetism to transform oil paints in various ways. In the case of Takabatake’s works, the change in materials affects the structure of the paintings themselves. For example, in the MARS series (2020), the artist mixed oil paint with iron sand, applied a powerful magnetic force from behind the canvas, causing the paint to be pulled by the laws of magnetism, and created ridges and arcs on the painting. In the CAVE series (2022), she tied threads to the canvas itself to create uneven shapes, which were then repeatedly dipped in plaster to form a strange stalactite-like surface that looks like a cave wall, developing concave and convex structures. In this way, through the physical phenomena of different materials, Takabatake has expanded the two-dimensional view of painting and developed it into an entity with a physical space.

In this exhibition, two developments using mechanics will be presented. The CANVAS series is a continuation of the CAVE series, approaching the support structure itself. Takabatake makes her own plain-woven canvases using yellow jute and forms the surfaces along the woven lines. She will also present a series of works in which material and structure are more firmly connected, such as a work in which jute is mixed with pigments and colored dry clay materials and made into a sphere by the force of circular motion. The LINE(N) series is made using the principles of rotation and gravity that occur when twisting and reeling yarn. By wrapping a canvas around a cylinder, which is suspended with a string from the ceiling, and moving it in a circular motion, she discovered a method of creating a new space with just a single line.

In order to obtain her own methodology in painting, Takabatake has focused on “oil on canvas”, two fundamental components of the painting, and has been tirelessly exploring the possibilities of this method. She regularly plans art-oriented trips, such as the cave paintings of Lascaux and the ground paintings of Nazca, to experience the dynamism of the world through her five senses, which by itself indicates her magnificence as an artist, and influences her art practice. Please enjoy a new works exhibition by Yoriko Takabatake.

ShugoArts, May 2024